Author: newsdesk

  • DIG Bilal Siddique Kamyana appointed as new CCPO Lahore

    DIG Bilal Siddique Kamyana appointed as new CCPO Lahore

    DIG Bilal Siddique Kamyana has been appointed as the new Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore. He took over for the former Fayyaz Ahmad Dev, who was transferred from the position a few days ago.

    Kamyana is the sixth City Police Chief to be appointed since the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) came to power in 2018. The decision was made on the same day that the Punjab Assembly convened for a critical session.

    Bilal Siddique Kamyana, an ex Ravian from Sahiwal, is regarded as a trustworthy, skilled, and crime-fighting police officer.

    He is a part of Pakistan’s 24th Common Police Service who served in significant positions such as RPO Faisalabad and Sheikhupura areas, CPO Rawalpindi, DPO Sialkot, Narowal, and Okara, DIG R&D CPO, DIG SPU, SSP CTD, and other high levels of the Police Department’s headquarters and district sections.

    Read more: City Traffic Police Lahore to check overcharging, overloading by transporters on Eid

    Kamyana held an initial meeting with the sectional heads of the various branches of Capital City Police Headquarters shortly after taking over. He has vowed to resolve citizens’ issues by delivering justice.

  • Pakistan reports two polio cases, girl and boy paralysed

    Pakistan reported its second incidence of wild poliovirus on Friday, after a stool sample from a two-year-old child from the district of North Waziristan in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa tested positive, according to health officials.

    This is the world’s fourth incidence of wild polio in 2022, and Pakistan’s second, which was reported on April 22 in the same district. “Today, the Pakistan National Polio Laboratory at the NIH, Islamabad, has confirmed the detection of Type-1 Wild Poliovirus from the stool specimen from a 24-month-old girl from district North Waziristan, K-P. The girl had onset of paralysis on 14 April 2022,” an official statement said.

    The statement further added that Pakistan had reported only one WPV1 case in 2021 which had onset of paralysis on 27 January in Killa Abdullah, Balochistan.

    “This indicates well-established wild poliovirus circulation within district North Waziristan.”

    Pakistan, along with Afghanistan, is one of only two nations in the world where wild poliovirus is still circulating.

  • Fact check: Has Turkey tightened visa policy for Pakistanis?

    Fact check: Has Turkey tightened visa policy for Pakistanis?

    Claim: Turkish government has tightened the visa policy for Pakistanis after viral social media posts claiming Pakistanis’ involvement in a kidnapping

    Fact: Pakistani embassy in Turkey has refused any changes in Turkey’s visa policy for Pakistanis

    On 29 April 2022, Arab News reported that Turkey had tightened its visa policies for Pakistanis after a Pakistani group allegedly abducted Nepalis at gunpoint while they were wandering in Taksim Square, one of the significant landmarks of the city.

    The abducted people were tortured and their videos were made, with a kidnapping demanding a ransom of 10,000 euros for their release.

    “The Turkish government has tightened the visa policy for Pakistanis after crimes reportedly involving Pakistanis,” a local media news report read. However, the Pakistani Embassy has denied the news reports of changing Turkish visa polices for Pakistanis.

    “In response to various media reports, it is clarified that Turkey has not made any changes in its policy of issuing visas and residence permits specific to Pakistan nationals. The Embassy remains in close contact with the Turkish authorities on all consular related matters,” the Pakistan Embassy in Turkey wrote in a tweet.

    VERDICT: FALSE

  • Govt to file high treason case against PTI leaders

    Govt to file high treason case against PTI leaders

    The government has started preparing a high treason case against the former and the current PTI government officials on the basis of Article 6 for violating the Constitution, confirmed Deputy Secretary General PML-N Attaullah Tarar.

    According to Geo News’ sources, the people who are being named are President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi, Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Former National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri and Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema.

    As per the news outlet, currently, the government is consulting legal experts. The current ministries of interior and law have started gathering evidence related to the case.

    Article 6 of Constitution of Pakistan, says any person who “abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance the Constitution shall be guilty of high treason”.

    On April 3rd, Deputy Speaker Suri “dismissed” the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan, terming it against Article 5 of the Constitution. Then, Khan addressed the nation, saying he had advised President Alvi to dissolve NA, which the President approved.

    Later, the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) declared the act unconstitutional, restored the assemblies and directed to hold the no-confidence motion in the House, which resulted in the removal of Khan’s government.

    A couple of weeks ago, PML-N Hamza Shehbaz was elected as the new CM of Punjab. However, his oath-taking ceremony is still hanging as the Governor of Punjab Omar Sarfraz Cheema declined to administer the ceremony multiple times. Despite Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order to do the ceremony, it is yet to take place.

    Many legal experts have argued that Punjab’s governor cannot decline to administer the oath to the chief minister-elect under any circumstances and termed it illegal.

  • PM Shehbaz might meet Turkish President Erdogan in Saudi Arabia

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is likely to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, states Geo News’ sources.

    Erdogan, who also reached KSA yesterday conveyed a message to PM Shehbaz to meet him. The message reads, “I would like to meet you.”

    The premier is on a three-day visit while the Turkish president is on a two-day visit. Shehbaz held a brief meeting with Madina’s governor, where both the leaders exchanged views on bilateral relations.

    Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said that the prime minister will have bilateral interaction with the Saudi leadership, with a particular focus on advancing economic, trade and investment ties, and creating greater opportunities for the Pakistani workforce in KSA.

    Erdogan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday to mend relations between the two countries in his first visit since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

    It is pertinent to mention that ties between the two nations were strained after Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

  • Pakistan’s foreign currency reserves down by $328 million

    Pakistan’s foreign currency reserves down by $328 million

    State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on April 28, revealed that the central bank’s foreign exchange reserves fell by 3 per cent on a weekly basis.

    The central bank’s foreign currency reserves were $10,558.2 million on April 23, a $328 million decrease from the previous day’s total of $10,885.7 million. according to the SBP, this decline was caused by external debt and other payments.

    Pakistan’s total liquid foreign currency reserves, comprising net reserves held by banks other than the SBP, were $16,668.2 million. Banks held a total of $6,110 million in net reserves.

    SBP’s foreign exchange reserves reached an all-time high of $20.15 billion in the week ending August 27, 2021, after Pakistan received a general allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) worth $2,751.8 million from the IMF on August 24.

    Pakistan bought $2.5 billion using Eurobonds on March 30, 2021, by offering attractive interest rates to lenders in order to enhance foreign exchange reserves.

    Read more: All banks to remain open this Saturday

    On July 9, 2019, it received the first loan amount of $991.4 million from the IMF, which helped to boost reserves. The IMF released the second loan tranche of approximately $454 million in late December 2019.

  • Prominent personalities condemn ‘chor chor’ slogans in Madina

    Prominent personalities condemn ‘chor chor’ slogans in Madina

    Prominent personalities have come forward to condemn the chanting of “chor chor” slogans in Masjid-e-Nabawi against the visiting Pakistani delegation. In videos that are being widely shared on social media, Marriyum Aurangzeb can be seen surrounded by people yelling “chor chor” and another abusive words. Someone can be seen pulling Shahzain Bugti’s hair as well.

    Many prominent personalities including politicians, religious leaders and others have expressed their anger and disappointment over the incident.

    Maulana Tariq Jamil while condemning the incident said that disrespect of Haram Sharif is not acceptable in Islam.

    Former cricketer Shahid Afridi also came forward to condemn the incident. The star cricketer said the incident has damaged Pakistan’s image. 

    https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1519781042873421825

    PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan also condemned the incident and called it “against the sanctity of the holy place”.

    PTI’s Asad Umar also spoke up against the incident.

    “I ask forgiveness to Allah for what has happened today at Roza-e-Rasool (PBUH),” Mohammad Yousaf tweeted.

    Kamran Akmal wrote, “Very shameful act done by some of our countrymen in #masjidnabawi Those who violated the sanctity of Masjid-e-Nabawi for political purposes should be banned.I condemn it. Sanctity of the holy place of the Prophet (PBUH)is a must & obligatory for all Muslims. Stop spreading Anarchy.”

  • Customs seizes smuggled liquor worth Rs6.48 million in Karachi

    Customs seizes smuggled liquor worth Rs6.48 million in Karachi

    During a raid on the outskirts of Karachi on Thursday, Pakistan Customs personnel recovered a massive quantity of imported liquor worth millions of rupees.

    According to a Customs spokesman, monitoring was increased at the Moachko checkpoint after the Customs Enforcement Collectorate got information that alcohol was being smuggled to Karachi from Quetta under the cover of official vehicles.

    When a car with a government license plate and an armed guard was sighted at the checkpoint, customs anti-smuggling personnel signaled the driver to pull up, but the driver instead sped away.

    When the officials gave chase, the driver of the car purposefully began hitting customs vehicles, and the guard resorted to firing. Because the road was packed and there was a threat to public safety, customs officers refrained from firing fire.

    According to a spokesman, when they were around Shershah Chowk, the driver and guard hopped out of the vehicle and fled, taking advantage of a traffic jam on the other side of the road. During a check of the vehicle, 348 liquor bottles worth Rs6,480,000 were seized, along with other items discovered.

    Read more: PTA to take action against advertising of illegal housing societies on social media

    The entire estimated value of the products and car was Rs10,480,000. An FIR has been filed, and a manhunt has been initiated to find the suspects.

  • PTI’s Qasim Suri attacked in Islamabad restaurant

    PTI’s Qasim Suri attacked in Islamabad restaurant

    Former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Qasim Khan Suri was attacked in the early hours of Friday at a private hotel in Islamabad. In the incident, Qasim Suri was unharmed, but his friend suffered a slight injury.

    Following the incident, Qasim Suri stated in a video statement saying that he was sitting in a hotel when a bunch of people suddenly appeared and attacked them.

    In his message on Twitter after the incident, Qasim Suri alleged that ‘PML-N goons’ allegedly carried out the attack. Suri has filed an application to register an FIR at the Kohsar police station.

    In a separate incident yesterday, the Pakistani delegation in Saudi Arabia was surrounded by people yelling “chor chor” when they made their way to Masjid-e-Nabwi in Madina.

  • PTA to take action against advertising of illegal housing societies on social media

    PTA to take action against advertising of illegal housing societies on social media

    The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) instructed housing societies that do not have a legal No Object Certificate (NOC) to refrain from advertising unauthorized businesses on social media platforms.

    According to a news release, the PTA has been approached by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) in response to a direction given by the Lahore High Court in a writ case on March 30, 2022, with regard to banning advertisements of illegal housing societies on digital and social media.

    All non-approved housing societies that operate without valid NOC from the concerned authorities are encouraged to desist from publicising the unlawful business on social media platforms, or else the PTA will take action in accordance with its legal mandate.