Author: newsdesk

  • ‘Nothing to worry about’: Dar dismisses concerns raised by Moody’s downgrading Pakistan

    ‘Nothing to worry about’: Dar dismisses concerns raised by Moody’s downgrading Pakistan

    After Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Pakistan’s sovereign credit rating on Friday, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar dismissed worries, stating there is ‘nothing to worry about’.

    “There is nothing to be worried about, I spoke with Moody’s yesterday and told them that they shouldn’t have done this. They should have consulted with us,” said Dar while talking to the media.

    The announcement follows Moody’s Investors Service’s (Moody’s) Thursday night downgrading the government of Pakistan’s senior unsecured debt rating from B3 to Caa1 for both local and foreign currency issuers.

    According to Express Tribune, the senior unsecured MTN program’s rating was similarly reduced by Moody’s, moving from (P) B3 to (P) Caa1. The future remains bleak.

    In the wake of the terrible floods that have struck the nation since June 2022, the rating agency said that the decision to lower the ratings to Caa1 was motivated by greater government liquidity, external vulnerability risks, and higher debt sustainability risks.

    The floods have significantly increased the need for social spending, compounded Pakistan’s problems with liquidity and external credit, and negatively impacted government revenue.

    According to the rating agency, Pakistan’s long-standing credit weakness of extremely weak debt affordability would continue for the foreseeable future.

    However, the Ministry of Finance vehemently contested Moody’s rating decision in its reaction. “The rating action by Moody’s is strongly contested by the Ministry of Finance as the rating action by Moody’s was carried out unilaterally without prior consultations and meetings with our teams from the Ministry of Finance and State Bank of Pakistan,” a statement issued by the ministry said.

    “Following Moody’s intimation of the rating action, the ministry held two meetings with the agency’s team over the past 24 hours, sharing data and information which clearly show a picture contradicting Moody’s rating action.

    “After a regular stock take of the economic and fiscal conditions, the Ministry of Finance informed that government policies over the last few months have helped in fiscal consolidation,” the ministry added.

    “The government had adequate liquidity and financing arrangements to meet its external liabilities.”

    Dar said that Fitch Ratings recently downgraded the UK from stable to negative. “The ratings from these agencies is essential for issuing bonds and Sukuks in the international market,” he said. He claimed that he informed Moody’s that if the organisation did not change its mind, he would provide a “befitting” response at his meeting with its representatives set for next week.

    “They (Moody’s officials) have to meet me. I told them if you don’t [reverse] this, I will give you a befitting response in our meeting next week,” he said.

  • Abdullah Qureshi quits music industry, reveals the ‘real reason’

    Abdullah Qureshi quits music industry, reveals the ‘real reason’

    Musician Abdullah Qureshi has announced that he is quitting his music career for religious reasons.

    In a statement shared on his social media accounts, Qureshi revealed his reasons for ‘being lost’.

    “I have received a ton of messages in this time asking about where I have been,” he wrote. “I was on a break, pressed the pause button for a while and took this time to find out who I was, where I am headed and who I want to become.” Announcing his decision to quit the music industry, Qureshi said, ” want to take a moment to announce my exit from the music industry as I have decided to stop doing music as a full-time profession. I took this decision purely because of religious reasons.”

    He added, “I had a great time making music, playing at concerts for thousands of people, getting loved and appreciated, facing controversies, making some wrong decisions, spreading some positivity, making some amazing friends, working with people who were my idols, learning from the best and doing what I loved doing.” Sharing how he now believes that the actual purpose of his life is “way bigger than all of this”, Qureshi remarked, “We have very little time in this world to make our afterlife better.”

    He explained, “Alhamdulillah, I am very satisfied with this decision and I am on my way to find the real truth and I pray that Allah makes this new journey easy for me.”

    He asserted that he will no longer perform in concerts or appear in ads. “I would appreciate it if I am not contacted for those. However, if I am needed for any appearance events, social media campaigns or work that interests me and falls in the folds of our religion, I’d be happy to do it.” He concluded his statement with gratitude for endless support and love. 

    Qureshi’s decision was welcomed by many on social media. However, around the same time, singer Natasha Baig, without naming names, presented an imperative point to ponder. “I will never accept those musicians or actors who leave behind their career in the name of awakening,” Baig shared on social media. “Because that proves the wrong narrative that has been attached with music.”

    She added, “So, please go ahead and congratulations on your awakening but do not make us look like villains in the process. Your acts might be something that Islam never appreciates, but music is divine and it has nothing to do with any sinful act unless you are unable to control your nafs and nafs can become a problem in any profession.”

    Even actor Hamza Ali Abbasi shared his take on Qureshi’s decision. Hamza tweeted, “May God give u the strength & persistence in ur iman, ikhlaaq & deeds brother. Just want to share my discovery that Music is not completely haraam in Islam. If u have time, please watch this 1 program https://youtu.be/VizbnlNBLvQ OR this detailed 10 part series.”

    Last year, Qureshi took to his Instagram stories to respond to a girl’s accusations about him sliding into her inbox with inappropriate messages. Qureshi In this apologised and stated that he is sorry to everyone that he has hurt or harmed in any way and requested the removal of anything related to ‘this’ because it has affected his career and is likely to affect his daughter.

    His apology read, “I apologise to everyone for all this. I won’t blame my drunken state because it was me at the end of the day. But yes, I did have a drinking problem and I do have fetishes. But everyone has fetishes.”

    He went on to clarify that his apology “is not about that [his fetishes],” but about “messaging randoms.” He further stated, “Yes, I did have that problem too but I stopped when I had my daughter. I apologise to her for being the worst dad.” Qureshi added that he had discussed all of this with his wife a year ago and the matter was settled between them. 

    “We are happy and I’m a changed man.” The Dastaan crooner continued, “I am sorry to everyone I have hurt or harmed in any way and I request removal of anything regarding this because it has already affected my career and most importantly, it’s going to affect my daughter.”

  • Tamasha host Adnan Siddiqui thinks Salman Khan copied him on Bigg Boss 16?

    Tamasha host Adnan Siddiqui thinks Salman Khan copied him on Bigg Boss 16?

    Actor Adnan Siddiqui recently wrapped up his hosting stint on Pakistan’s biggest reality show, Tamasha. The reality show was inspired by the global format of Big Brother show, which is adapted as Bigg Boss in India.

    Adnan had dinner with the Tamasha inmates in the last week of the show. Now in the first week of Bigg Boss 16, host Salman Khan enters the house to have dinner with the contestants.

    The Ahista Ahista star took notice of Salman’s latest act and took to his Instagram stories to share a cryptic post.

    The actor shared a collage showing how he dined with his contestants first and the Ek Tha Tiger star followed it later.

    Siddiqui captioned his post as, “My dear friends/critics, I rest my case.”

    Earlier Adnan and Tamasha’s makers were scrutinised for copying Bigg Boss, and the lack of novelty in the show’s basic format.

  • Floods can push up to 9 million people in poverty: World Bank

    Floods can push up to 9 million people in poverty: World Bank

    The World Bank has said that catastrophic monsoon flooding linked to climate change may push between six and nine million Pakistanis into poverty.

    Unprecedented monsoon rains that hit Pakistan this year resulting in 1,700 fatalities, two million destroyed homes, and a third of the country being under water.

    In shabby tent cities and dispersed settlements close to the still waters that devoured their possessions and way of life, eight million people are still without a home.

    “The recent floods are expected to have a substantial negative impact on Pakistan’s economy and on the poor, mostly through the disruption of agricultural production,” said Najy Benhassine, the World Bank’s Country Director for Pakistan. “The Government must strike a balance in meeting extensive relief and recovery needs, while staying on track with overdue macroeconomic reforms. It will be more important than ever to carefully target relief to the poor, constrain the fiscal deficit within sustainable limits, maintain a tight monetary policy stance, ensure continued exchange rate flexibility, and make progress on critical structural reforms, especially those in the energy sector.”

    As many as 33 million people of the 220 million South Asian nation have been affected in some way by the floods that swept away houses, roads, railways and bridges and submerged around 4 million acres of farmland.

  • Ex-policeman killed children at a nursery in Thailand

    Ex-policeman killed children at a nursery in Thailand

    An ex-policeman identified as Panya Kamrab has killed at least 37 people, most of them children, in a gun and knife attack at a childcare centre in north-east Thailand.

    Trigger warning

    At least 22 children were among the dead in the mass killing. Some victims, aged as young as two, were attacked as they slept.

    Police say that the attacker then killed himself, his wife and his son after the horrific incident. According to Thai police, the attacker mostly stabbed his victims before fleeing the scene.

    “The shooter came in around lunchtime and shot four or five officials at the childcare centre first,” a local official told Reuters.

    “After inspecting the crime scene, we found that the perpetrator tried to break in and he mainly used a knife to commit the crime by killing a number of small children,” said Police Chief.

    “Then he got out and started killing anyone he met along the way with a gun or the knife until he got home. We surrounded the house and then found that he committed suicide in his home.”

    The country’s Prime Minister (PM) Prayut Chan-o-cha described the incident as “a shocking event”.

    The attacker was a police lieutenant colonel before he was dismissed last year for drug use.

  • Outrage in India after video of Police beating Muslim men in public goes viral

    Outrage in India after video of Police beating Muslim men in public goes viral

    A video showing plainclothes police officers whipping Muslim men who are strapped to a pole has gone viral in India. The video shows large crowds of people present at the incident cheering and applauding police for the flogging.

    The crowd can also be heard chanting, “maro, maro” (beat them).

    The video footage is thought to have been shot on Tuesday in the Kheda area of western Gujarat. It surfaced on social media and spread like wildfire.

    A group of police officers in civilian attire can be seen beating a group of at least four or five men with sticks as they are each tied to an electricity pole. One of them is using a holstered pistol. The pistol is customary for Indian police officers.

    The muslim men were accused of attacking a garba celebration in Undhela hamlet in the district on Monday.
    Police arrested a dozen people and cases were registered against 150 people, including women.

  • President Alvi stresses on women empowerment in sparsely attended session

    President Alvi stresses on women empowerment in sparsely attended session

    Addressing a joint session of the parliament on Thursday, President Dr Arif Alvi stressed on empowerment of women in Pakistan, saying that opportunities should be made for them.

    Addressing a sparsely attended session, the President said that women should feel safe in public spaces and men in society can contribute to that. He pointed out that women in Pakistan can contribute a greatly to society.

    Moreover, the president said that women should be given chances to work in public offices and urged lawmakers to work on eliminating harassment.

    His remarks were addressed to a mostly empty hall, with legislators from both treasury and Opposition benches choosing to skip the session.

    Dr Alvi warned against neglecting youth as he called for the inclusion of children who were out of school and urged lawmakers to focus on it.

    “I have spoken to ulema that mosques should have sessions to provide school education. If you can’t provide education to children, give them skills,” he highlighted.

    Talking about the flood situation in Pakistan, the president, “I want to felicitate the Pakistan Army for helping victims while sacrificing their lives. The federal and provincial governments, PDMA (Provincial Disaster Management Authority), and NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) all worked hard on the ground. I thank all of them.”

    He said that the recent floods had, once again, raised the demand for building dams. Furthermore, he pointed out that if the relief work is not done on time, human and economic losses from the floods would be higher.

    “The Netherlands is 19 times smaller than Pakistan but it has progressed in agriculture, and my country should have progressed more in this field. If we adopt a scientific approach, Pakistan can beat the world,” he stated.

    Talking about foreign affairs in his speech today, the president lauded the government for improving ties with the United States (US). On China, the president said, “I believe the Pakistan-China friendship is a real one and CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) is an example of it.”

    At one point during his address, the president also called for the continuation of the work on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), saying “We shouldn’t delay this”.

    President Alvi was set to address the joint session on August 14, but due to the apprehensions of the coalition government, the address was postponed.

  • ‘Imran Niazi lies day and night, he is a fraud’: PM Shehbaz

    ‘Imran Niazi lies day and night, he is a fraud’: PM Shehbaz

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif Thursday called out Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, terming him the “biggest fraudster”.

    “I can swear to God he [Khan] is a fraudster and has tried to create rifts in important institutions of Pakistan,” he said while addressing a press conference.

    “I’m finally saying this today that the entire Opposition has been vindicated by God. And Imran Khan — who lies day and night — is a fraudster […] he had isolated the nation and played with it. He attacked the army and tried to create divisions,” the Premier said, mincing no words.

    Shehbaz stated that the government wanted to show Imran’s “true face” to the nation. “The decision will be taken by you through the vote,” he reminded the public.

    Recalling the no-confidence motion

    Narrating the incidents that happened during the time of the no-confidence motion back in April, the premier said, “Let’s go back to April 3 when voting was to be held on the no-confidence motion and everybody knows the incidents that took place on that day. But I just want to narrate what exactly happened on that day.”

    “I just want to tell you what happened that day. Before the voting [of the no-trust vote], the information minister at that time (Fawad Chaudhry) stood up and read a statement saying that a conspiracy was devised against the government […] its links were with a foreign power and the Opposition has brought about this motion.”

    “On this, Suri sahab refused to allow the voting process to take place without even taking the Opposition into confidence,” PM Shehbaz went on to say, adding that the “hues and cries of the Opposition were ignored.”

    Within no time, Imran came on television and announced the dissolution of National Assembly (NA). “Twenty minutes later, the president approved the summary.”

    This was the basis of the conspiracy that Imran has been playing along with for the past five months and wasting the nation’s time, PM Shehbaz said. “Due to this game, Pakistan’s relations with the biggest powers of the world have been compromised,” he insisted.

    He recalled that “baseless allegations” were levelled at several government leaders during this time. “You can say whatever you want, but calling someone a traitor […] there is no bigger conspiracy than it.

    “On the floor of the NA, I said that if God forbid this conspiracy was proved against me or the coalition, then the nation has the right to hang me.”

    Taking a jibe at President Dr Arif Alvi, the premier said that the president who takes days and weeks to approve summaries, including the one regarding the appointment of governor Punjab, passed the summary regarding the dissolution of assemblies within 20 minutes.

    ‘Cipher can’t be decoded’

    The premier said that the cipher — which Imran claims contains details of a foreign conspiracy to oust him from power — can’t be decoded by the government.

    “If it is, then all the cables from all embassies can be leaked or stolen,” he reasoned.

    “Imran himself doesn’t know where it is.But his audio leaks have proven that there were four people behind the so-called conspiracy. What other evidence do you need,” he demanded.

    The PM also revealed that the cabinet had decided to probe the audio leaks, adding that an investigation into the matter had already begun. “We will tell the nation [the findings] with complete transparency.”

    Audio leaks have revealed Khan’s truth

    Referring to the recent audio leaks, the premier said, “He can be heard saying that this is a game […] they can be heard saying that minutes of the meeting should be made up according to their wish.

    “The country’s honour was sabotaged in such a manner that no such example is found in history […] this is nothing less than treason,” Shehbaz said, claiming that Imran played a “serious game with the country”.

    “Tell me, is there any doubt after this that who was behind the conspiracy,” he asked.

    Shehbaz said that two days after the PMO audio leaks, an ambassador from a friendly country came to meet him at the Prime Minister’s Office. “I had a discussion with him after which he highlighted that now no one would feel safe talking at the PMO.”

    This, he continued, was not just a huge loss for the government but a loss that the nation would have to bear for decades to come.

    Khan tried to divide the armed forces of Pakistan

    PM Shehbaz also alleged that Khan tried to divide the armed forces of Pakistan.

    “The army has rendered great and unparalleled sacrifices,” he said.

    Indirectly referring to a business deal worth £190 million, the premier termed it the “biggest robbery in the history of the country”.

    “A million pounds means around Rs5 billion have been robbed,” he added.

    ‘Army chief’s appointment as per Constitution’

    The prime minister asserted that the appointment of the next army chief in November,will be done as per the Constitution.

    “It [the appointment] has a process in the law and Constitution and the decision will be taken according to that.”

    Country will be destroyed if Khan comes to power again

    PM Shehbaz warned that if Khan once again comes into power, the “country will be destroyed”. The premier further added that the PTI chief has time and again defamed Pakistan.

    “Is telling lies, committing frauds, and hatching conspiracies his [Khan’s] patriotism and leadership?” he asked, adding that a person who says he is perfect dies his own death.

    “I am a sinner but I will never lie to the nation,” he said, adding that if he lies, the nation can hold him accountable.

    ‘Mian he will bring prosperity along with him’

    Shedding light on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif’s return, he said: “When Mian will come, he will bring prosperity along with him.”

  • Confusion within Punjab govt regarding PTI long march

    Confusion within Punjab govt regarding PTI long march

    The final date for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march has not been announced yet by Chairman Imran Khan, however, contradictory statements have been issued by the Punjab government regarding the province’s support.

    Punjab Home Minister Hashim Dogar said on Wednesday that during the PTI long march, government resources will not be used and called Khan’s long march a “political matter”.

    In a tweet, he said, “Long march is our constitutional and legal right. When Imran Khan orders, we will come out as a party. This is a political matter, we have never used government resources and will not.”

    In another instance, Dogar, while talking to journalists on Wednesday said, “If Imran Khan announces a long march then the Punjab government will not become part of it. We will not facilitate the participants of the long march but security will be provided”, reports Geo News.

    On the contrary, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi— who is currently in London— said, “We will do everything that Imran Khan wants us to do”.

    Speaking to journalists, he said, “There is a PTI government in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir”, adding that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah wouldn’t be able to bear the PTI long march.

    Reacting to Dogar’s statement, Elahi said, “That is, as such, no matter”.

    The statement from the Punjab home minister and CM came after Khan directed his party’s officeholders to ensure that thousands of workers gather in Islamabad during the “Azadi March”.

    Earlier, Sanaullah said that PTI’s long march would not be allowed to enter the federal capital under any circumstances.

    On October 4, Khan asked his party leaders and workers to take an oath that they would participate in the long march, terming it a “jihad” for the country.