Author: newsdesk

  • Gen Bajwa says he will retire in November

    Gen Bajwa says he will retire in November

    Putting months of speculation to rest, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has reiterated his promise to leave office after completing his second three-year term in November, adding that he would fulfil the pledge he made earlier.

    The army chief made these remarks at a lunch at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington.

    The COAS also stated that the armed forces have distanced themselves from politics and want to stay out of it in the future as well.

    “There can be no diplomacy without a strong economy,” said the army chief stressing that restoration of the ailing economy of the country should be the priority of every stakeholder of the society.

    After the lunch, Gen Bajwa went to the Pentagon for a meeting with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

    According to the ISPR, Gen Bajwa called on retired General Lloyd James Austin III, Secretary of Defence; Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan, National Security Adviser; and Wendy Ruth Sherman, Deputy Secretary of State.

    The army chief arrived in the US on September 30 and met with UN officials in New York.

    General Bajwa is heading a delegation that will stay in the US for another couple of days, diplomatic sources said, terming the visit an important one that portrayed “robust relations” between the two countries.

  • 4,000 dengue cases reported in five months in Balochistan

    Up to 4,000 dengue cases of dengue have been reported in Balochistan over the past five months, Syed Ali Shah has reported for Express Tribune.

    Flood victims across the country have been in the grip of a variety of mosquito and waterborne diseases as Balochistan has reported over 4,000 dengue cases over the past five months.

    Lasbela, Kech, Gwadar, and Panjgur districts reported the majority of the cases.

    Around 250 dengue cases have been detected over the past several days from various locations in Balochistan, a health official said.
    To limit the spread of dengue and malaria, Abdul Aziz Uqaili, Chief Secretary of Balochistan, has ordered the authorities to spray repellent fog in the afflicted districts.

    Dengue, a viral illness spread by the Aedes Egypti mosquito, is a potentially fatal disease with common symptoms being high-grade fever, body aches and eye pain

  • 8 prominent banks under investigation for involvement in exchange rate manipulation: SBP

    8 prominent banks under investigation for involvement in exchange rate manipulation: SBP

    On Tuesday, Jameel Ahmad, the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), told the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue that inquiries had been initiated against eight banks for their alleged involvement in exchange rate manipulation.

    According to Ahmad, the first part of the investigation focused on Bank Al Habib, Habib Bank Limited (HBL), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Meezan Bank Limited, United Bank Limited (UBL), Allied Bank Limited (ABL), and Standard Chartered. The name of eighth bank was not disclosed.

    He told the tribunal that ABL, NBP, and Standard Chartered had each received show-cause warnings. The governor continued by saying that in the following stage, the other banks will be looked into.

    The committee’s chairman, MNA Qaiser Ahmad Sheikh, gave SBP instructions to take the proper action against all banks and exchange firms implicated in the manipulation of the currency rate during today’s meeting.

    According to a news release from the National Assembly Secretariat, he requested that the central bank assess the severity of the violations by both parties and take the necessary action to ensure that nobody “has the audacity to play with the economy of the country.”

    According to Dawn, the committee believed that the banks made enormous profits during the recent volatility in the exchange rate and the differential between the interbank rate and the rate provided by exchange providers.

    Ahmad has told the committee that after the investigation is complete, anyone who violated the rules will be punished.

    Members of the Committee, the Secretary of Finance, the Chairman of the FBR, the Governor of the State Bank, and other senior executives from the relevant agencies attended the meeting of the Committee.

    Prior to this, Dawn claimed that banks had quadrupled their purchases of US money and were using credit cards to move it outside as the government struggled to stop dollar withdrawals.

    In a media interview the next week, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar declared that manipulating the exchange rate would not be permitted.

    Dar stated that the rupee is now not in the proper position and added that he was aware of some speculators who were playing this game and advised them to quit right away.

  • Free-of-cost bus service launched in Gilgit-Baltistan for women

    Free-of-cost bus service launched in Gilgit-Baltistan for women

    A women-only, free-of-cost bus service has been launched in Gilgit-Baltistan. It was inaugurated by Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Chief Minister Khalid Khursheed. The bus service will initially be run on four routes.

    “Pink buses for women have been inaugurated today by Chief Minister GB. For the first time in Pakistan’s history, free buses for women have been launched. Three buses each have been made operational in Gilgit and Skardu city, with the government planning to expand it to further areas of the province,” a tweet by Office of the Chief Secretary, Gilgit Baltistan read.

    4 routes have been earmarked where buses will operate at two times i.e. 6am to 9am and 1pm to 3pm. Female students, doctors, teachers, lawyers and other professionals will benefit from this initiative. Traffic police have been instructed to facilitate these buses on roads,” It added.

    Free-of-cost bus service launched in Gilgit-Baltistan for women.

  • Apple forced to switch to USB-C chargers as EU approves law

    Apple forced to switch to USB-C chargers as EU approves law

    A new regulation mandating the adoption of a standard charger for electronic gadgets was approved by European lawmakers on Tuesday.

    The rule was passed by the European Parliament, and if it becomes law, it will require that by the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras sold in the EU incorporate USB Type-C charging ports.

    This could have an impact on businesses that do not already employ USB Type-C, like Apple and others. The iPhone uses Apple’s exclusive Lightning charger. Theoretically, if Apple wanted to sell its iPhones in the EU, it would have to include the standard charging method.

    The more recent iPads and MacBooks from Apple already include USB-C connections.

    More than ten-year-old charge regulations are still undergoing the EU legislative process, thus they are not yet in effect.

    The legislation was approved in June by the European Commission, the EU’s executive body. Now, it has received approval from the European Parliament. It now has to receive the final approval of the European Council, which is made up of representatives of the governments of EU nations, in order to become law.

    The guidelines, according to EU legislators, would cut down on waste because users won’t have to buy a new charger every time they buy a new device. According to the EU, this will decrease the manufacturing and disposal of new charges.

    Technically, if the legislation is approved, consumers will be able to charge compatible iPhones with a Samsung USB Type-C charger.

    According to a news release from European Parliament member Alex Agius Saliba, “This future-proof law allows for the development of innovative charging solutions in the future, and it will benefit everyone — from frustrated consumers to our vulnerable environment.”

  • Pakistani rupee maintains winning streak against dollar for 8th consecutive session

    Pakistani rupee maintains winning streak against dollar for 8th consecutive session

    On Tuesday, the Pakistani rupee (PKR) gained against the US dollar for the eighth session in a row, finishing more than 0.7 per cent stronger.

    According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the rupee strengthened by Rs1.55, or 0.73 per cent, to close at Rs225.64. The rupee has gained a total of Rs14.06, or 6.23 per cent, over the last eight trading sessions.

    For the seventh consecutive session, the Pakistani rupee appreciated versus the US dollar on Monday, finishing at Rs227.29 after gaining Rs1.16 (or 0.51 per cent) in the inter-bank market.

    Ishaq Dar’s return, who is renowned for supporting a strong rupee, and the reduction in speculation activity, according to analysts, are to blame for the currency’s recent increase.

    On Monday, the country’s newly appointed finance minister even predicted that the rupee may increase to less than Rs200 versus the dollar.

    In an interview, he claimed that the rupee’s actual worth is less than Rs200 (against dollar), and that it will fall to Rs200 soon.

    He continued by saying that because speculation had caused the present rate to rise, the rupee would be supported by policies.

    Experts claim that the dollar’s international strength has decreased, which is reflected in the currency market. Still, it would be very difficult to drive the rupee below Rs200, even if the speculative aspect is taken out of the equation.

    Despite the UN’s $816 million request, Pakistan has only received between $100 and $150 million in flood aid.

    The dollar index, which compares the value of the dollar to six other currencies, including the pound and the euro, remained roughly unchanged at Rs111.55, not far from the low set on Monday of Rs111.46, which was last seen on September 23.

    Oil prices, a major factor in defining currency parity, increased on Tuesday as optimism over OPEC+’s potential Wednesday agreement to significantly reduce crude output outweighed worries about the state of the world economy.

  • ‘Nawaz Sharif ka rasta ab saaf hai’: Maryam Nawaz hints at her father’s return

    ‘Nawaz Sharif ka rasta ab saaf hai’: Maryam Nawaz hints at her father’s return

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz hinted that her father, PML-N supremo and former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, might soon return to Pakistan.

    Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Maryam said, “Nawaz Sharif ka rasta ab saaf hai, sirf ab aik application deni hai court mei.” (The path to his return is clear now. All we have to do is submit an application in court.)

    The PML-N leader also revealed that now that she had received her passport, she would soon visit her father in London.

    “I am happy today that I have received my passport, but I would like to ask why I was deprived of my fundamental right for three years,” the PML-N leader asked.

    Taking a jibe at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Maryam told the judiciary that it should not be lenient with a person like him who thinks like “satan” and whose only job is to blame people and launch smear campaigns.

    The PML-N leader said Khan went to the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry to apologise as he was aware that if he didnt do it, then he could be disqualified.

    “Was Zeba asked whether she wants to forgive him or not? Do you [courts] know what kind of precedent are you setting?” she said.

    Maryam noted that since Khan has been forgiven, the contempt cases against PML-N party leaders Talal Chaudhry, Daniyal Aziz, and Nehal Hashmi should also be disposed of.

    Referring to the misplacement of US cipher allegedly linked to Khan’s ouster, Maryam said that she is “At a loss of words” at the PTI chairman’s carelessness.

    “This wasn’t a record of a diamond ring that you misplaced or the record of the dollars that you took in the foreign funding case. It was Pakistan’s property,” she lashed out.

  • King Charles III may be visiting Pakistan soon

    King Charles III may be visiting Pakistan soon

    King Charles III has expressed interest in visiting Pakistan soon.

    The new monarch hosted his first ever public reception to honour British-South Asian community at Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh, Scotland.

    Zeeshan Shah, the honorary ambassador-at-large on investment met with King Charles III during the event.

    Speaking with the King, Ambassador Shah spoke of his role and current initiatives being under taken to promote trade and investment between Pakistan and the UK.

    He further thanked the King for his ongoing support to Pakistan’s most under privileged through his charity the British Asian Trust, in particular the emergency relief support his trust has been providing for flood affectees in Pakistan.

    Members of the British royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II, have visited Pakistan in the past.

    Most recently the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, visited Pakistan in October 2019.

  • ‘Our intelligence agencies are making people feel threatened’: Khan

    ‘Our intelligence agencies are making people feel threatened’: Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that intelligence agencies should reconsider what they are engaging in.

    “Our intelligence agencies should think about what they are engaging in. They are making people feel threatened,” he said. Addressing the agencies during an interview on Channel 92, the former Prime Minister said that “political engineering” was not in their job description and that they were tasked to keep the country safe.

    Khan claimed that state secrets have been leaked to the country’s enemies, citing an alleged breach of the secure line at Prime Minister’s Office.

    “Secrets of the state have been leaked to our enemies. There has been a violation of the security line of the Prime Minister’s Office. The security agencies must be questioned about who is responsible for this,” he said during an interview with a private television channel.

    ‘They [government] should first ask the Foreign Office about the cipher’s master copy’: Khan

    Khan said that the master copy of the infamous cipher is lying in the Foreign Office.

    “They [government] should first ask the Foreign Office about the cipher’s master copy,” the former premier stated, adding that the master copy first arrives at the FO and its copies are then sent to the Prime Minister’s house, president, and the chief of army staff.

    “What cipher are they talking about which has been stolen?” Khan questioned the government, stressing that they “initially lied” that there was no cipher.

    He added that President Arif Alvi sent the cipher’s copy to Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and that his party had sent one copy to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser.

    ‘No one will be able to guess what will happen, what we’ll do’: Khan

    “We have planned more events after this. No one will be able to guess what will happen, what we’ll do. [I’ve] just shared the details with four to five closest people,” he said.

    “Our discussions get leaked, our phones get taped. It seems like I’m a traitor,” the former premier said, claiming that his servants are being paid to leak information.

  • ‘Irresponsible’: Fawad Chaudhry lashes out at govt after Miftah-Ishaq clash

    ‘Irresponsible’: Fawad Chaudhry lashes out at govt after Miftah-Ishaq clash

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter to comment on the conflict between new Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and his predecessor Miftah Ismail over the recent Rs12.63 per litre petrol price cut by the government.

    Chaudhry said, “The irresponsible and contradictory statements of Dar and Ismail have complicated matters further regarding the IMF programme”, adding that the federal government comprises of the “most idiotic team” in the country’s history.

    Fawad further stated that the economic team of the country is “totally confused”.

    The PTI leader claimed that “Their [govt] politics have been buried. If [the government] is working, it is working to end their NAB cases.”

    Earlier, former finance minister Ismail said that the government’s decision to not increase the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) this month without International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) approval is “reckless”.

    While the incumbent finance minister Dar said, “I have to handle the International Monetary Fund (IMF), so from now on, neither Miftah nor anybody else has to worry about anything.”

    On September 26, Dar landed in Pakistan after five years and took the charge of the finance ministry right after Ismail’s resignation.