Author: newsdesk

  • Floods in Pakistan: US to provide $132 million in US debt relief

    Floods in Pakistan: US to provide $132 million in US debt relief

    The United States (US) on Friday unveiled a roll-over agreement to suspend payments of USD 132 million of Pakistan’s debt in the wake of the economic crisis caused by the floods.

    “Ambassador Blome today signed the second U.S.-Pakistan bilateral agreement under the G 20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative, providing $132 million in U.S. debt relief to Pakistan. Our priority is to redirect critical resources in Pakistan,” said the US Embassy Islamabad in a statement.

    Record monsoon rains and melting glaciers triggered the disaster. The United Nations (UN) and Pakistan have linked the extreme weather to climate change. Approximately 600,000 people have fled their homes.

    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.

  • Petrol price reduced by Rs12.63 to Rs224.80 per litre

    Petrol price reduced by Rs12.63 to Rs224.80 per litre

    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has announced a significant reduction in petrol prices on Friday, cutting the cost by Rs12.63 per litre to Rs224.80 per litre.

    A reduction of Rs12.13 has also been made to the cost of high-speed diesel, bringing the new price down to Rs235.30 per litre. After a reduction of Rs10.19 per litre, the cost of light diesel oil will be Rs191.83, according to Geo News.

    The new petrol price will go into effect after 12 AM.

    According to a statement from the Finance Division, the government decided to lower the price of petroleum goods in response to a drop in the price of these products on the global market and to help consumers who had been affected severely by inflation.

  • Woman in Iran arrested for eating without hijab

    A woman has been detained in Iran for dining out without wearing a headscarf. During the riots over Mahsa Amini’s passing, an image of a woman eating out in Iran without a headscarf went viral on social media.

    The image showed Donya Rad having what appeared to be breakfast while chatting with a female acquaintance who was also not wearing a hijab in a traditional Tehran restaurant.

    “Yesterday after this photo was published, the security agencies contacted my sister Donya Rad and asked her to give an explanation,” her sister Dina wrote on Twitter.

    Today, after appearing where she was told to come, she was arrested. After a few hours of silence, Donya told me in a short call that she was transferred to ward 209 of Evin prison,” she said, referring to a notorious wing of the Tehran jail which is reputedly run by the intelligence ministry.

    “Our family is very concerned about her wellbeing,” she added.

    “They just went to get breakfast without headscarves. They were arrested. This is how brutal/sick the hijab policy is in Iran,” commented prominent US-based campaigner and journalist Omid Memarian on Twitter.

    Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman breathed her last 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 on Tuesday. Photographs of Mahsa lying in a hospital bed have gone viral, showing the young woman in a coma with her head wrapped in bandages and breathing through tubes.

  • Imran asks ‘neutrals’ who is responsible for PMO audio leaks?

    Imran asks ‘neutrals’ who is responsible for PMO audio leaks?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday asked the “neutrals” — the term he uses for the military establishment — who was responsible for the security breach at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

    “I ask them [neutrals] that the audio leaks of the Prime Minister Office […] if the security of the Prime Minister Office has been breached […] this means that our enemies have our sensitive information,” Imran said in a speech at Edwardes College in Peshawar today. “Who is responsible for this,” he asked.

    “I ask the protectors today […] if robbers are looting a house, can the guards say that they are neutral? What will the residents say? That the house is being looted but the guards say they are neutral,” Imran said, claiming that Pakistan, too, was being “looted” today.

    Responding to Khan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz said, ““The massive security breach you have done sitting in the PMO with your secretary and followers, even the biggest enemies of Pakistan couldn’t compete with it,” she tweeted.

    “A foreign-funded evil mind has been playing with the destiny of the country for the past four years and has the nerve to do that same today,” Maryam added.

    Khan’s comments come in relevance to his audio leaks related to the cipher and the foreign conspiracy.

  • Rs16 billion money laundering case: PM Shehbaz appears before court, terms case as ‘fake’

    Rs16 billion money laundering case: PM Shehbaz appears before court, terms case as ‘fake’

    A special court in Lahore adjourned the hearing till October 8 in a Rs16 billion money laundering case filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza Shehbaz.

    The court also directed the lawyer to submit additional details on the acquittal plea by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders.

    In the hearing which took place on Friday (today), PM’s son Hamza Shehbaz did not appear before the court as he had sought exemption on medical grounds. However, PM Shehbaz appeared before the court but later sought exemption as he had “important” matters to attend to.

    PM’s lawyer Amjad Pervaiz told the court that the first information report (FIR) registered against his clients mentioned they were involved in money laundering worth Rs25 billion from 2008-2018 through fake companies. However, he said, “During this 10-year span, PM Shehbaz was neither the director nor a shareholder of those companies.”

    PM Shehbaz also spoke before the court, stating that the money laundering case against him is “fake”.

    He claimed that when he was Chief Minister (CM) for 20 years he had made decisions that “hurt” his family’s sugar business. “I was requested to provide subsidy to sugar mills, but I refused. I refused as the amount (that would be used for subsidy) belonged to the poor people in Punjab,” he declared to the court.

    Later, he sought an exemption from the court which was granted to him. After Shehbaz left, the court went on a break.

    Once the hearing resumed, the lawyer presented his arguments again. Then, the court adjourned the hearing till October 8 and asked him to continue deliberations at the next hearing.

    In 2021, the FIA submitted a challan against Shehbaz and Hamza to the special court for their alleged involvement in laundering Rs16 billion in a sugar scam.

    The report added that the amount was kept in “hidden accounts” and “given to Shehbaz in a personal capacity”.

    At the time, FIA had said that the amount of Rs16 billion has nothing to do with the sugar business of Shehbaz’s family. The money allegedly received from the accounts of low-wage employees was transferred outside Pakistan, ultimately destined for the beneficial use of his family members.

  • ‘Changing threat matrix of terrorism is need of the hour’: PM Shehbaz responds to Kabul suicide blast killing 19

    ‘Changing threat matrix of terrorism is need of the hour’: PM Shehbaz responds to Kabul suicide blast killing 19

    A suicide bomb attack on a classroom of hundreds of students preparing for exams in Kabul, Afghanistan on Friday killed at least 19 people.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, extending his condolences, said, “Deeply grieved at the loss of young lives in a horrific suicide attack at a learning center in Kabul. Words can’t express this sheer barbarism. We send our deepest condolences & most sincere sympathies to the bereaved families & people of Afghanistan.”

    He further tweeted, “As I stated in my address at UNGA, terrorism continues to threaten not just Afghanistan & Pakistan but also the world. The international community should not let its guard down. Strengthening global cooperation against changing threat matrix of terrorism is need of the hour.”

  • Petrol price may go down by Rs7.24 to Rs230.19 per liter

    According to industry projections, the ex-depot cost of petrol has declined by Rs7.24 per litre to Rs230.19 per litre for the upcoming fortnight from the current price of Rs237.43 per litre, as reported by The News.

    Considering recent reports, this might lead to a fall in the price of petrol by Rs7.24 per litre and diesel by Rs16.61 per litre in Pakistan at the upcoming fortnightly review if the government does not raise taxes to offset the effects of the declining worldwide market.

    Expected new prices

    In comparison to the present price of Rs247.43 per litre, the ex-depot price of diesel has fallen by Rs16.61 to Rs230.82 per litre for the upcoming two weeks.

    In comparison to the current fortnight, the ex-depot price of light diesel decreased by Rs10.87 to Rs186.41 per litre.

    Kerosene’s ex-depot price fell from Rs197.28 per litre to Rs187.82 per litre, a decrease of Rs14.20.

    The oil sector bases its prices on the current taxes levied by the government. Petroleum goods are exempt from general sales tax (GST), which is charged at a rate of Rs37.42 for petrol and Rs7.58 for diesel per litre.

    There has been a considerable decline in international oil prices, but it is unclear if the government would pass the impact through to the public or offset it by increasing taxes.

  • Mahira Khan set to be Will Smith’s leading lady in Hollywood debut

    Mahira Khan set to be Will Smith’s leading lady in Hollywood debut

    Two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is all set to make her narrative feature directorial debut with Brilliance. The upcoming film will be a Paramount Pictures adaptation of the Marcus Sakey novel.

    On the other hand, Hollywood star Will Smith will be producing the film under the banner of his company Westbrook Studios. Though the official announcement regarding the star cast is not made, it is being reported that that superstar Mahira Khan is in final talks to join the film.

    https://twitter.com/FilmUpdates/status/1575460011706286080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1575460011706286080%7Ctwgr%5E476817c227a1e942955c4a34f6f6879a228f1f29%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-36297767593164264713.ampproject.net%2F2209072154000%2Fframe.html

     In a report, describing the premise of the film, the publication stated, “if 1% of the world’s children were born with powerful gifts, how would society adapt to them? The Brilliance novel trilogy is set in a future where non-neurotypical people — demonized by society as “twists” or “abnorms” — are threatening the status quo of the “normal” population with their unique gifts.” Talking about Obaid-Chinoy, she is best known for directing Saving Face and A Girl in the River, The Price of Forgiveness and most recently Ms Marvel. Meanwhile, Smith will next star in Emancipation. In the upcoming Apple film, the star will be seen playing a hunted runaway enslaved man who struggles for freedom in the dangerous swamps of Louisiana. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the fact-based thriller’s release date is not announced yet.

  • ‘Absolutely no truth in regime change’: US Ambassador says would work with whatever government Pakistanis elect

    ‘Absolutely no truth in regime change’: US Ambassador says would work with whatever government Pakistanis elect

    United States (US) Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome, in an interview with The News, said there is “absolutely no truth” in the allegations of regime change in Pakistan and said that he is “very much hopeful that the countries can get past this and get back to important work”.

    He said, “We want to see an independent, prosperous and strong Pakistan. That’s what we believe is in our interest and in the interest of the region. As for the allegations, there is absolutely no truth in that. We have spoken to them, myself, and in Washington.”

    To a question by the newspaper about the possibility of Imran Khan coming into power again, and the US reaction to it, the US ambassador said that his country “Would work with whatever government the Pakistani people select”.

    On the matter of Imran Khan’s demand to hold an inquiry into the cipher issue, the ambassador was of the view that it is not his position to talk about whether the inquiry should be made or not. During the interview, Bloom revealed that he had not met Imran Khan.

    The ambassador said it’s important to clarify that the US, in no way, asks Pakistan or any other country to “Choose a single economic partner, bloc or anything else like that”.

    Furthermore, Blome credited the government for securing the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) deal and termed it a “significant accomplishment”.

    Talking about Pakistan’s debt, the ambassador said that Pakistan does not have an enormous amount of debt with the US in particular. “So, the Paris Club debt is a relatively small amount. It is how the US would be working with Pakistan to defer payments,” he stated.

    However, he reiterated that US wants to help Pakistan to navigate through this very difficult period

    Blome also dismissed any talk about his country using Pakistan air bases.

    ‘We want to build and reset these relations back to normal: PM Shehbaz Sharif

    At the US embassy, where Bloom was also present, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif expressed hope to reset US-Pakistan relations.

    “I want to say this very sincerely today that we want to build and reset these relations back to normal on the basis of trust, respect, and mutual understanding,” he declared.

    On Thursday (September 29) a diplomatic reception was held at the US embassy in Islamabad to commemorate the 75 years of relations between Pakistan and the US.

    “As I said, there will be a lot of what your [US] side will want to say but as long as we renew this friendship with sincere and serious dialogue, I can assure you that nothing will go wrong,” Shehbaz Sharif said.

    The Pakistani premier stressed that it is time for the two countries to move forward and find ways to warm up the relationship to the same degree as it was in the past.

    The prime minister also recalled that during his visit to New York, he met US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken who assured him of support for the flood-affected people.

  • ‘Kis mulk se yeh letter aya hai, mai kisi ke moo se sun’na nahi chahta’: Khan

    ‘Kis mulk se yeh letter aya hai, mai kisi ke moo se sun’na nahi chahta’: Khan

    The season of leaks rages on in the country as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman’s part two of the first audio leak on the ‘cipher’ got released on Friday, September 30.

    The latest audio, reportedly featuring PTI’s Imran Khan, Asad Umar and Azam Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, can be heard below.

    The script of the second audio goes as follows:

    Imran Khan: “Okay Shah Jee [Shah Mahmood Qureshi] tomorrow we will be doing a meeting. Three of us [Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Asad Umar] and the foreign secretary. In the meeting we will quietly write the minutes of the meeting. Azam is saying we will make the minutes…. and keep a photo copy of it.”

    Azam Khan: “This cipher came on the 8th or 9th March. It came on 8th March.”

    Imran Khan: “But the meeting took place on 7th. By no means will we be taking the name of Americans. So please, no one should take the country’s name on this issue. This is very important for all of you. I don’t want to hear the name of the country from where the letter came from any ones mouth.”

    Asad Umar: “Are you intentionally calling it a letter. This isn’t a letter, it is a transcript of the meeting.”

    Imran Khan: “It is the same thing, whether it be a meeting’s transcript of a letter. People wouldn’t have understood the transcript. You say [things] like this in your jalsa.”

    ‘Is par hi khelna hai’: Imran warns not to reveal United States involvement

    Khan in his first leaked audio, could be heard talking about the alleged foreign conspiracy against him with his then principal secretary Azam Khan.

    Khan discusses how to frame the narrative around the alleged conspiracy that resulted in the ouster of his government. He tells Azam Khan: ‘Iss par hi khelna hai’, without mentioning the name of the United States and they discuss how to form a team on the issue.

    The “cipher” lies at the heart of PTI’s claim that the US plotted with individuals within Pakistan to remove Khan from office. It is based on then-envoy Asad Majeed’s meeting with State Department employee Donald Lu..

    ‘Abhi toh khela hi nahi mai’: Imran Khan responds to new leaked audio

    Khan broke his silence on the leaked audio, and said that he has not played on the cipher yet.

    Khan in the new leaked audio, can be heard talking about the alleged foreign conspiracy against him with his then principal secretary Azam Khan.

    When asked who leaked the audio, Imran blamed Shehbaz Sharif.

    “It is good that the audio got leaked, I would say the cypher should also be leaked. So that everyone should come to know how big was that foreign conspiracy.”

    “Abhi toh khela hi nahi mai,” said Khan. Translation: I have not played with it yet and will play when they expose it.