Author: newsdesk

  • Tofay hi tofay: What did Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi keep from the state gift list?

    Tofay hi tofay: What did Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi keep from the state gift list?

    An investigation by news organisation Fact Focus reveals that former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi kept all 112 presents worth Rs142.02 million from the Tosha Khana of Pakistan.

    The former PM and his wife Bushra Bibi have retained everything that was gifted to them by different states. The gifts include luxurious Rolex watches, gold and diamond jewellery, cufflinks worth millions, expensive dinner sets and perfumes. Not only that, they also kept a book worth Rs. 500, a tablemat, a samsonite bag and even a tasbih.

    The most expensive gift was a Graff watch worth Rs 85 million (Eight crore and fifty lac rupees), gifted to PM Khan by Saudi crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman when he visited Saudi Arabia on September 18, 2018. Instead of giving it the Tosha Khana, which is what every prime minister and his family is bound to do, Khan sold the watch in Dubai, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Khan also declared tax returns on the watch when filing his taxes in 2020-21. He apparently paid Rs. 20 million (2 crore), which was 20 percent of the estimated value, according to his tax returns.

    List of some of the gifts:

    • One pair of cufflinks worth Rs. 5,670,000.
    • Five Rolex watches
    • A table mat of Rs. 30,000
    • Wall hanging worth Rs. 15,000
    • One locket with chain (Gold+Diamond) worth Rs. 269,350
    • Carpet worth Rs. 22,000

    In his returns for the financial years 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21, Imran Khan did not mention any of the Tosha Khana presents that were kept. Bushra Bibi, Khan’s wife, did not file a tax return at this time. Bushra Bibi, in reality, has never submitted a tax return in her life and was just registered with the Pakistani tax authorities in July 2021.

    A few days ago, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry that, Kya jurm huva agar gharri baich di’, admitting that Khan had sold the gifts.

    DISCLAIMER: The pictures used are for pictorial representation only and do not represent what the actual items might have been.

    Other gifts include:

  • ‘We are inching towards Civil unrest’: Fawad Ch on Punjab Assembly clash

    ‘We are inching towards Civil unrest’: Fawad Ch on Punjab Assembly clash

    Former Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry took to his Twitter account to comment on the manhandling of Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari by Assembly members belonging to PTI, earlier today (Saturday).

    “We are inching towards a full-fledged Civil unrest, Imran Khan has exercised utmost restraint even he won’t be able to stop this very angry mob and we’ll see the country plunging into civil unrest, imported leaders will not be able to leave the country,” he wrote in the tweet.

    Mazari was roughed up by PTI legislators carrying lotas (round water containers) before being brought back to his chamber in protective custody by the assembly’s security team. Mazari was said to have suffered minor injuries as a result of the assault by the PTI MPAs.

    On Friday, a division bench of the Lahore High Court dismissed a petition filed by a PML-Q politician and ordered Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Dost Muhammad Mazari to hold a transparent and impartial election for the new Chief Minister of Punjab on April 16 (saturday).

  • ‘Elahi wants to get people murdered’: PML-N blames PTI, PML-Q for attack on Deputy Speaker Punjab

    ‘Elahi wants to get people murdered’: PML-N blames PTI, PML-Q for attack on Deputy Speaker Punjab

    The Punjab Assembly (PA) session, which was started to elect the new Chief Minister (CM) Punjab turned into a battle filed today (Saturday).

    Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari was attacked by several Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs). The lawmakers of the ruling party threw “lotas” at Mazari first, attacked him and pulled his hair despite the presence of security guards. Mazari who got injured somehow managed to go inside his chamber.

    Consequently, the session has been delayed due to the unfortunate incident.

    In a media talk outside the Punjab Assembly after the ruckus inside, PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar blamed Pervaiz Elahi and his “group of gangsters” for everything that happened inside the legislature.

    “What happened today is a blatant violation of the law and Constitution,” he said. “Today, the deputy speaker was attacked. This is an incident of terrorism. I have heard Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi wants to get one or two people murdered.” He added that Elahi had been encouraging the MPAs when they attacked the deputy speaker.

    Tarar also called on the Lahore High Court to take suo moto notice of the incident and initiate action against the culprits. “We are here and won’t move till midnight.”

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also condemned the incident. In a tweet, she said, “The gang of thugs whose name is PTI, seeing their defeat in Punjab, have started bullying again.”

    She further said that “This culture is by no means good for the country and for the nation but is a disaster. It must be stopped and eradicated immediately.”

    Similarly, PML-N Marriyum Aurangzeb took a jibe at former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. She said, “After attacking the constitution, Parliament, Khan ordered an attack on Deputy Speaker in Punjab Assembly.”

    PML-N Khawaja Asif lashed out at Pervaiz Elahi, saying: “PTI-PML-Q gang of mobsters has not only desecrated Punjab Assembly a constitutional institution representing people of Punjab but they have also brought shame to parliamentarians all over the country.”

    On the contrary, the ruling party nominee  Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi blamed the PML-N for bringing the police inside the legislature “for the first time since the creation of assemblies”.

    “Who is the police to enter the assembly?” the PML-Q leader said. “We will make sure the Inspector General of Police (IGP) appears before us and he will be punished for a month.”

    A tough contest is expected to take place between Elahi and PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz, who is the joint opposition’s candidate. Both candidates, along with their supporters, had arrived at the PA in the morning.

  • Fact Check: Did Abida Parveen release ‘O Mere Maula’ this week?

    Claim: Abida Parveen released a new song ‘O Mere Maula’ in collaboration with the Indian duo Salim and Sulaiman

    Fact: ‘O Mere Maula’ is a new rendition of Abida Parveen’s 2016 song called ‘Noor e Elahi’

    Legendary Sufi singer, Abida Parveen’s song, “O Mere Maula in the collaboration with Indian musician/singer brother duo Salim-Sulaiman has gone viral across the border. It was uploaded on April 9 and gained over 300,000 views on YouTube. It is currently trending on YouTube.

    Bollywood actor, Pankaj Tripathi is also featured in the Music Video. He is known for popular roles in films, Mimi, Mirzapur, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Stree, Gangs of Wasseypur, and Sacred Games.

    The video is shot in three world cities of Mumbai, Toronto, and Islamabad. However, this song was actually released on Jul 5, 2016, with the song titled, Noor E Ilahi which is an earlier upload of the same music video, surpassing 19,000,000 views till now.

    VERDICT: FALSE

  • Islamabad Traffic Police issues 2,827 challans to unregistered cars, motorcycles

    Islamabad Traffic Police issues 2,827 challans to unregistered cars, motorcycles

    During the current year, the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) issued fine tickets to 2,827 unregistered cars and motorcycles.

    The action was taken as part of a crackdown initiated by Inspector-General (IG) Islamabad Police Muhammad Ahsan Younas and led by Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Traffic Rai Mazhar Iqbal.

    The ITP deployed special enforcement squads to check unregistered automobiles on the roadways as part of the crackdown. Special enforcement teams were stationed throughout the city to keep an eye on the movement of unregistered vehicles. Meanwhile, the SSP (Traffic) asked citizens on Friday to have their vehicles registered as soon as possible and to use only ETO-issued number plates.

    He stated that police officials would not be lenient in this regard. In order to maintain a smooth flow of traffic in the Federal Capital, ITP is taking strict action against vehicles that are parked incorrectly.

    Read more: PM Shehbaz rejects OGRA’s proposal, petrol price to remain unchanged till April 30

    All Zonal DSPs were directed by the SSP Traffic to ensure that traffic laws were followed by citizens by being polite. Citizens should be treated with respect, he emphasized, and he educated them on traffic laws.

  • Chinese astronauts return to Earth after six months in space

    Three Chinese astronauts landed in northern China on Saturday after 183 days in space, state broadcaster CCTV said, ending the country’s longest crewed space mission to date.

    The two men and one woman – Zhai Zhigang, Ye Guangfu and Wang Yaping – landed safely in a small capsule shortly before 10am Beijing time (02:00 GMT) after spending six months on the Tianhe core module of China’s Tiangong space station.

    “Shenzhou 13’s re-entry capsule successfully landed,” state broadcaster CCTV said.

    Barred by the United States from participating in the International Space Station (ISS), China has spent the past 10 years developing technologies to build the Tiangong, the only space station other than the ISS.

    The country aims to become a major space power by 2030 and rival the US and Russia. It has already landed a rover on Mars and sent probes to the Moon, and the country’s National Space Administration said it aims to launch a crewed lunar mission by 2029.

    Live footage from CCTV showed the capsule landing in a cloud of dust, with ground crew who had kept clear of the landing site rushing in helicopters to reach it.

    There was applause as the astronauts each took turns to report that they were “feeling good”.

    The Shenzhou-13 was the second of four crewed missions to assemble the Tiangong, which means “heavenly palace”.

    Wang became the first Chinese woman to walk in space last November, as she and her colleague Zhai installed space station equipment during a six-hour stint.

    Mission commander Zhai, 55, is a former fighter pilot who performed China’s first spacewalk in 2008, while Ye is a People’s Liberation Army pilot.

    The trio have completed two spacewalks, carried out numerous scientific experiments, set up equipment and tested technologies for future construction during their time in orbit.

    The incoming Shenzhou-14 is expected to be launched in the coming months.

    Astronauts will spend six months on the Chinese space station in future missions, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

  • ‘The kindest face of humanity’: Tributes pour in for Bilquis Edhi

    ‘The kindest face of humanity’: Tributes pour in for Bilquis Edhi

    Bilquis Bano Edhi passed away on Friday (April 15) at the age of 74. She was the wife of renowned humanitarian and philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi. Politicians, journalists, cricketers and celebrities paid rich tributes to Bilquis Edhi.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tweeted that the passing of Bilquis Edhi “is a huge loss for the nation”.

    First Lady Tehmina Durrani tweeted, “Today I lost the woman who became my mother when I most needed one. The entire world lost one of its most valuable assets.”

    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto shared a picture of his late mother Benazir Bhutto with Bilquis Edhi and Abdul Sattar Edhi.

    Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan tweeted: “Her quiet, selfless work for the poor, the homeless, especially the orphans & abandoned children, made her a role model and a symbol of hope.”

    Apart from politicians, several cricketers and celebrities also paid rich tributes to Bilquis Edhi.

    Shahid Afridi said Bilquis Edhi was a “mother to so many orphans, a sister to many grieving hearts; the kindest face of humanity”.

    https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1514979525230305280

    Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam tweeted: “May her unmatched legacy lives on and the hope to thousands remain as in her lifetime. Salute and respect.”

    Pakistani bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi tweeted that Bilquis Edhi was one of a kind hope to many.

    Singer and actor Hadiqa Kiani tweeted, “She trusted me with being a mother and I, like so many others touched by Mrs. Edhi’s grace and kind soul, will forever be grateful. I pray for her peace and I pray her legacy carries on.”

    Actor, Osman Khalid Butt tweeted, “Rest in peace and power, Bilquis Ji. We will never forget your contributions to Pakistan.”

    Adnan Siddiqui wrote: “We have lost a great philanthropist and an ever greater human being. It takes rare selflessness to dedicate your entire life to serving humanity. Bilquis Edhi, your humanitarian work will inspire generations.”

  • LG polls as per schedule in Balochistan: CM Bizenjo

    LG polls as per schedule in Balochistan: CM Bizenjo

    Balochistan Chief Minister (CM) Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo on Friday said that his government is fully prepared to hold local government (LG) elections in the province as scheduled by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), reports Dawn News.

    The chief minister pointed out that due to the preparations for the next year’s budget and some other reasons, the provincial government had sought to the postponement of the LG elections for some time.

    The ECP, however, rejected the Balochistan government’s request for a six months delay in the LG elections in the province. The commission reiterated that elections will be held as per schedule on May 29 in the 32 districts of the province with the exception of Quetta and Lasbella districts.

    In a statement, CM Bizenjo said that all institutions concerned have been tasked with foolproof preparations for the timely conduct of the LG elections in a transparent and peaceful manner.

    He further added that his government would provide all resources for the elections and expressed hope that all political parties would fully participate in the local bodies’ elections.

    It is to be noted that the development has come on the heel of a change in the federal government where PTI Chairman Imran Khan was ousted from power through a successful no-confidence motion.

  • SriLankan Airlines plan to lease 21 aircraft draws criticism

    SriLankan Airlines plan to lease 21 aircraft draws criticism

    A plan by Sri Lanka’s state-owned national airline to lease nearly two dozen aircraft has sparked public criticism and opposition condemnation as the country struggles with its worst financial crisis in decades.

    Sri Lanka is struggling with low reserves that have declined more than 70% over the past two years to $1.93 billion at the end of March.

    The dollar crunch has caused acute shortages of fuel, food and medicines, with rolling power cuts for hours a day for more than a month.

    On Tuesday, Sri Lanka suspended some external debt repayments and said it would instead use meagre dollar cache to focus on essential imports.

    Protesters demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resignation have been staging daily sit-ins outside his office.

    Tender notices for the lease of 42 aircraft were published on the airline’s website on Thursday.

    SriLankan Airlines has been struggling with a fall in tourism because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis.

    In 2019/20, SriLankan Airlines reported a loss of 44.14 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($140.90 million) against 41.70 billion Sri Lankan rupees in the previous year.

    “This must be a joke?!,” a member of parliament from the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) alliance, Harsha de Silva, said in a post on Twitter.

    “Sri Lanka is bankrupt; no fuel, gas or medicine. Where the hell is money for this nonsense?! Better immediately clarify.”

    Another opposition party, the United National Party (UNP), demanded that the carrier cancel the proposal while numerous Sri Lankans expressed their disapproval online.

    “What good is new aircraft when you won’t have fuel to fly,” said Twitter user Shiv Theyagamurti.

    The airline’s chairman, Asoka Pathirage, said the carrier was looking for 21 planes to lease in an initial round as part of its 2022-2025 business plan to replace aircraft that would be phased out of its existing fleet.

    “We are only looking at availability in the market. SriLankan Airlines will finance these leases and we will not depend on funds from the government,” he told Reuters.

    “The airline has been making profits. We do have debt but we have to make money to repay them.”

    The government will begin talks with the International Monetary Fund for a loan programme on Monday.

  • Pakistan condemns Israel’s raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque

    Pakistan condemns Israel’s raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli forces and termed it blatant aggression against innocent people.

    “Condemnable raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque & escalation of violence by Israel in gross violation of HR & humanitarian laws. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinians. Time for the international community to protect innocent Palestinian lives, and uphold international law & UN Charter,” he tweeted.

    Read more- Fact check: Did Shehbaz Sharif meet singer Farhan NTF at PM House?

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson has also expressed its grave concern over the latest developments in various parts of the occupied Palestinian territories.

    “This highly condemnable assault on worshippers, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, is an egregious violation of all humanitarian norms and human rights laws,” read a statement issued from the ministry.

    “In recent weeks, Israeli forces have killed dozens and injured countless Palestinians in the occupied East Jerusalem and other areas. This escalation of violence by Israeli forces in the Palestinian territories is deplorable,” it added.