Author: newsdesk

  • PML-N divided over filing treason charges against Imran Khan

    PML-N divided over filing treason charges against Imran Khan

    Government officials have been discussing about going ahead with filing treason charges against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Chief Ministers (CMs) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Mahmood Khan, CM Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Muhammad Khalid Khurshid Khan after PTI’s Azadi March in Islamabad, reports Geo News.

    In a special cabinet committee, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah strongly recommended that the federal cabinet should file a treason case against Khan.

    The minister termed PTI’s long march fitna and fasad March. “With planning, around 2,500 miscreants were already sent to the federal capital and they tried to capture D-Chowk before the arrival of Imran Khan,” he added.

    Sanaullah further said Khan had violated the Supreme Court’s (SC) order and asked workers to reach D-chowk.

    On the contrary, in Geo News’ programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, Sanullah’s party’s senior leader Khawaja Asif said that the government should leave Khan on his own and shouldn’t file any charges against him.

    “He destroying himself as a politician, let him do that,” Asif added. He further said that PTI attacked Islamabad and the party itself accepted that their workers and supporters were armed.

    Talking about initiating a talk with the PTI Chairman, the PML-N leader said if there is any chance of a diplomatic talk, it should take place [between PTI and the government].”

  • Petrol quota for ministers, govt officials in Sindh lowered by 40 per cent

    Petrol quota for ministers, govt officials in Sindh lowered by 40 per cent

    Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah lowered the petrol allotment of ministers and government officials by 40 per cent this week as part of his moderation campaign following another spike in petroleum prices.

    Keeping in view a substantial spike in POL prices within the last few days, the decision was made to limit spending and decrease the strain on the national kitty.

    “The rise in petrol price should not be a burden on the exchequer,” Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah said, increasing the treasury’s load entails intensifying the burden on individuals.

    To meet the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) conditions, the government has unleashed another big gasoline bomb on the country after another hike of Rs30. In less than a month, the price of petrol has risen by Rs60 to Rs209.86.

    The latest petrol price hike came just hours after the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) approved a power tariff hike of Rs7.91 per unit.

    The price hike sparked riots in Karachi, with protesters wrecking a petrol pump and torching tyres on University Road. Despite expressing their dissatisfaction with the situation, the general public has requested that the government tightens its belt instead of putting the weight on the populace.

    Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokar, a top PPP lawmaker, also shared this attitude, suggesting a 50 per cent wage cut for politicians, generals, judges, and senior bureaucrats.

    “Why should common folk shoulder the failures of the political, military and judicial elite? This joke has to end”.

    If the average citizen is compelled to narrow his belt, Khokar believes that politicians, generals, judges, and top bureaucrats’ income should be halved and all amenities, including free utilities, should be removed.

    The administration warned on June 2 that it would raise fuel prices by Rs30 for the second time in ten days, as an attempt to obtain the remaining funds from IMF.

  • Salman or Suleman: What is the real name of Shehbaz Sharif’s son?

    Salman or Suleman: What is the real name of Shehbaz Sharif’s son?

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s son who is in the limelight for accompanying his father on his official Turkey trip, got us all confused this morning. As the editor of the story sat to write the news story, she noticed that various newspapers had addressed Shehbaz’s son differently. Some had written that he is ‘Salman Shehbaz’ and some called him ‘Suleman’.

    Below are screenshots of the news stories.

    Newspaper The News called the premier’s son, “Salman”. The headline read, “(Money-laundering case)..Non-bailable arrest warrant issued for Salman.”

    Dawn, in a story published on September 28, 2021, while writing about the premier’s son wrote, “A UK court has ordered unfreezing of the bank accounts of PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif and his son Suleman Shehbaz after the country’s National Crime Agency (NCA) did not find evidence regarding ‘suspicious bank transactions’ against them.”

    Former Minister Ali Zaidi too seemed to not know and addressed him as Salman.

    The premier’s son’s Twitter handle cleared the confusion as his name there is “Suleman Sharif”

    We also spoke to someone close to the Prime Minister’s son who clarified that his name is indeed Suleman and not Salman.

  • Google launches dedicated suicide helpline for Pakistanis

    Google launches dedicated suicide helpline for Pakistanis

    The internet giant, Google has introduced a suicide hotline one box for Pakistan, which allows users to connect immediately with a suicide helpline at the top of the search results page.

    The hotline termed ‘Umang Pakistan’ will now be displayed to anyone in Pakistan seeking suicide-related queries such as “suicide-support” and “how can I commit suicide”.

    The implementation of this special service will aid worried Pakistanis in recovering from whatsoever hardship they are enduring. The hotline will assist stressed individuals and provide solutions to alleviate the anxiety that they are currently encountering.

    Suicide ratio in Pakistan

    Umang is a mental health helpline recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) that provides support to Pakistanis who are contemplating or planning suicide due to any reason.

    The relationship between Umang and Google, according to Google, intends to help address Pakistan’s growing suicide rate. Keeping in view WHO estimates, Pakistan has between 130,000 and 270,000 attempted suicide cases per year.

    Meanwhile, Google Trends shows that topics like “anxiety,” “depression,” and “suicide” all spiked in the 2020-21 era in the country, according to the internet company.

    This search update is currently available on both desktop and mobile devices, including Android and iOS, and here’s how it appears in the google search:

  • Turkey officially changes name at UN to Türkiye

    Turkey officially changes name at UN to Türkiye

    The Republic of Turkey’s national name at the United Nations has been changed from ‘Turkey’ to ‘Türkiye.’

    According to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu wrote to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, demanding that ‘Türkiye’ be used instead of ‘Turkey’ in all matters.

    According to the spokeswoman, the country name change took effect as soon as the letter was received. On Tuesday, Cavusoglu said that the letter had been officially submitted to the UN and other international organisations.

    The Turkish government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoan has pushed for the internationally recognised name Turkey to be changed to Türkiye (tur-key-YAY), as it is spelled and spoken in Turkish.

  • ‘In what capacity did Shehbaz take his son to a state dinner?’ Twitterati question Suleman Shehbaz’s presence in Turkey

    ‘In what capacity did Shehbaz take his son to a state dinner?’ Twitterati question Suleman Shehbaz’s presence in Turkey

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s son Suleman Shehbaz has been in the limelight ever since his picture with President Tayyip Erdogan and the first lady from his father’s recent trip surfaced on the internet.

    Suleman Shehbaz, who has been accused of money laundering and assets beyond means, was present in Turkey, along with his father Shehbaz. His wife shared the picture of their dinner on Twitter which was heavily slammed by netizens.

    Twitterati questioned Suleman’s presence on an official trip.

    https://twitter.com/rabiaisrar38/status/1532374495306076161?s=20&t=AqOHY81s9F53RgIcK62vmQ

    Shehbaz’s three-day visit to Turkey too gathered criticism and was deemed that the duration and timing of the trip is rather unnecessary.

    The government before leaving gave ads of the trip to various newspapers. Twitterati questioned whether it was necessary to give ads

  • Islamabad High Court directs military to take back complaint against Imaan Mazari-Hazir

    Islamabad High Court directs military to take back complaint against Imaan Mazari-Hazir

    On June 1, 2022, Chief Justice Athar Minallah responded to the FIR No.436/22 which was registered against Lawyer and Daughter of PTI’s Shireen Mazari, Imaan Mazari-Hazir, at the Ramna police station in Islamabad. The FIR was filed against Mazari’s alleged use of “objectionable language” during her mother’s arrest on May 21, 2022 when Shireen Mazari was arrested and taken into custody by Punjab Police Anti Corruption wing.

    Chief Justice (CJ) of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Athar Minallah issued a court order which says that on the basis of the evidence shown so far, the information that the police officers have provided is ‘misleading’ and that the trauma and distress caused to Imaan Mazari was aggravated because of the misleading information provided by police officials, adding that it was not her intent to disrespect the armed forces.

    Minallah also clarified that there was no intent to commit an offence on the part of Mazari’s actions which have become the subject of the FIR filed against her. “The regret and remorse on the part of the petitioner is obvious and the court has no reason to doubt the bonafides of the statement made on her behalf,” reads the court order. Further the Chief Justice directed the complainant who filed the FIR on behalf of the armed forces to consider withdrawing their complaint.

    The case has been adjourned till June 9.

  • Netizens want ‘tangas’ back on roads as petrol hits Rs209.86

    Netizens want ‘tangas’ back on roads as petrol hits Rs209.86

    To meet the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) conditions, the government has unleashed another big gasoline bomb on the country after another hike of Rs30. In less than a month, the price of petrol has risen by Rs60 to Rs209.86.

    The latest petrol price hike came just hours after the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) approved a power tariff hike of Rs7.91 per unit.

    In an attempt to save money, a large number of people rushed to nearby petrol pumps to fill up their tanks before midnight. Numerous two-wheelers, as well as sedans and full-fledged SUVs, formed long lines outside gas stations.

    Several traffic bottlenecks were observed in key areas of Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad due to long queues of automobiles.

    Netizens expressed their displeasure on social media platforms, alleging that petrol had become out of reach for the general public.

    Despite hefty price increases that would unleash a strong wave of inflation, Pakistan is still far from reaching an agreement with the IMF which requires a budget agreement for fiscal year 2022-23.

    Petrol now costs Rs209.86 per litre, high-speed diesel (HSD) costs Rs204.15, kerosene oil costs Rs181.94 and light diesel oil costs Rs178.31, thanks to the rise.

    The Finance Minister, Miftah Ismail went on to say that the government is holding talk with the IMF on a daily basis. “We cannot accede to all of their requests, but we must agree on certain aspects”.

    He insisted that the petroleum subsidy announced by former Prime Minister Imran Khan had to be rescinded to avoid financial losses.

    Journalist Kazmi Wajahat described the chaotic scene outside gas stations just before the higher rates went into effect at 12 am.

    The decision to remove the gasoline subsidy should have been made sooner, according to economists, who also warned that the worst is still to come.

    One-unit price of electricity has increased from Rs16.91 to Rs24.82 as a result of the new raise. The hike has been reported to the federal government by Nepra. According to a statement, the increased tariffs will take effect after the government issues its final notification. Recent hike in tariffs has been attributed to the rupee’s depreciation and increased oil prices on the foreign market.

  • Jammat-e-Islami wants to ban Muslim dating app, CEO says ‘its not for casual flings’

    Jammat-e-Islami wants to ban Muslim dating app, CEO says ‘its not for casual flings’

    Jammat-e-Islami Sindh wants authorities to ban ‘Muzz Match’, a Muslim dating app. Pakistan has 400,000 active users of this app.

    “Jammat-e-Islami Sindh in a statement on Wednesday demanded the authorities to ban Muzz match, leading Muslim dating and marriage app, and remove its billboards from Karachi and other major urban center,” Journalist Zia Ur Rehman wrote in a tweet.

    The Current reached out to CEO and Founder of Muzz match, Shahzad Younas regarding the request of ban. “I’m a practising Pakistani Muslim in the UK and built Muzz almost 10 years ago because of how difficult it is to find a suitable partner,” he said.

    “It’s important that young Pakistanis have an app made for them that gives them a safe way to find a Muslim spouse who respects Islamic traditions, otherwise, they might turn to Western alternatives which unfortunately promote casual dating and non Islamic relationships,” he added.

    “We’re nothing like Tinder or other Western apps designed for casual flings.”

    “Our app discourages casual relationships, hookups and anything that doesn’t bring our members closer to their deen.”

    “We are proud to ban and block any member that is reported for not being serious or having ill intentions and have a 20-strong all female community team whose entire role is to keep our app safe and respectful,” he added.

    He continued by adding, “Our app also automatically censors and removes foul or obscene language being used” adding, “Unlike western apps, we have a wali/chaperone feature which lets members keep their parents or guardians informed about their conversations with matches.”

    While talking about the features of his app said, “Privacy and modesty are central to our app – male and female members can opt to have their photos completely private, and only share with specific interested parties.”

    “We have over 400,000 members in Pakistan and already have over 4,000 successful marriages reported to us.”

  • Meghan Markle’s bonding with royal children steals the limelight at Platinum Jubilee

    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stole the spotlight with their amazing first appearance at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee on Thursday.

    The duo arrived in the UK on Wednesday with their children Archie and Lilibet, and joined the royal family for Trooping the Colour.

    The Sussexex, who did not appear alongside the Queen on the balcony, watched the birthday parade for Queen Elizabeth from the Major General’s Office, which overlooks the Horse Guards Parade.

    The couple enjoyed the moments with the various young royals at the Palace, including Zara Tindall’s kids Mia, 8, and Lena, 3, and Peter Phillips’ daughter Savannah, 11.

    Meghan and Harry, who was seen chatting with the Duke of Kent and at one point shushing the boisterous royal kids himself have appeared together with the royal family in more than two years.

    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their last appearance in March 2020 for Commonwealth Day as official working royals.

    The Duchess looked smashing as she wore an asymmetrical, wide-brimmed Stephen Jones hat with an oversized navy bow and coordinating navy dress, while donned a blue suit rather than ceremonial dress as he has in the past.

    The Queen previously announced that only senior working members of the royal family will be included in the balcony appearance. Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in January 2020 and have since moved to Montecito, California.