Author: newsdesk

  • What do the legal experts have to say about the expected SC verdict?

    What do the legal experts have to say about the expected SC verdict?

    All eyes are on the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) as the country waits for the verdict of the dismissal of the no-confidence motion tabled against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan by National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri. Pakistan is in a state of political chaos as the no-confidence motion against Khan was dismissed abruptly on Sunday, April 3.

    Supreme Court will announce its verdict on Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling at 7:30pm today.

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday said that it was clear that the April 3 ruling of Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri was “incorrect”.

    Here is what legal experts have to say about the expected verdict.

    Ahsan Bhoon, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) said, “I am hopeful that the SCP will give its verdict in accordance with the constitution,” adding, “It is important to emphasise the need for an election order while maintaining the dissolution order of the Assembly.”

    SC lawyer Feisal Naqvi wrote in his op-ed in The News titled, ‘Destroying democracy from within‘: ” If today, the entire opposition can be disenfranchised on the basis of one man’s suspicions of treason, then tomorrow the entire opposition can be disenfranchised on the basis of different suspicions. No parliamentary system can work in such manner.”

    Lawyer Salaar Khan tweeted, “If the SC decides to return proceedings to the original position, the vote of no-confidence proceeds. If it fails, Imran Khan stays PM. If it succeeds, the next PM can be elected immediately thereafter. In either case, we have a stable government.”

    However, Salaar also wrote, “Mixed signals coming in from the SC. On the one hand, it has indicated that it believes the Speaker/Deputy Speaker’s ruling to be illegal. On the other, terms like ‘public interest’ and ‘stability’ suggest that we may be veering close to Necessity.”

    SC lawyer Salahuddin Ahmed tweeted, “Real mistake of SC was in not constituting a full court or larger bench of 5/7 senior-most judges. In a polarised political atmosphere; they will be lambasted whatever they decide.”

    PM Khan on March 27 claimed that the Opposition’s no-trust move is part of an alleged “foreign-funded conspiracy” hatched against his government. It is pertinent to mention here that the Opposition tabled the no-confidence motion against PM Khan on March 8. The government claims to have received the threatening communique on March 7.

    Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri on April 3 said that the no-confidence motion, presented on March 8, should be according to the law and the Constitution. “No foreign power shall be allowed to topple an elected government through a conspiracy,” he said, adding that the points raised by the minister were “valid”.

  • 17 Pakistani universities listed among world’s best institutions

    17 Pakistani universities listed among world’s best institutions

    As many as 17 Pakistani universities have been listed among the best global universities for 2022.

    According to the ranking published by US News, Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad has been ranked 461 in the World Ranking for 2022. Aga Khan University, Karachi and COMSATS University Islamabad are following the QAU in the ranking respectively.

    Apart from these institutions, more universities have made to the list, such as the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) which is placed at 922, the University of Peshawar, at 933, University of Agriculture Faisalabad at 954, Government College (GC) University Faisalabad at 1,149, University of Punjab at1,242, Bahauddin Zakariya University at 1,368 and University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore have been placed at 1,458th position.

    Following the news, the Vice-Chancellor (VS) of QAU Prof Dr Muhammad Ali Shah congratulated the faculty, students, staff, and alumni on the official website of the university.

  • PML-N MPA refuses to accept Farah Khan as daughter-in-law

    PML-N MPA refuses to accept Farah Khan as daughter-in-law

    Muhammad Iqbal Gujjar, father-in-law of Farah Khan has refused to accept her as his daughter-in-law. Iqbal Gujjar is Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA from Gujranwala of the Punjab Assembly.

    As per Geo News, he also attended the symbolic assembly session of the Punjab Assembly in which Hamza Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the Chief Minister of Punjab.

    The reporter asked him about the allegations against Farah Khan, to which he replied that he has no link with her adding that he has not accepted her as his daughter-in-law.

    Gujjar, while explaining the reason why he has not accepted her as a daughter-in-law, said that his son married her without his consent.

    The wealth of Farah Khan has grown exponentially during the three and a half years of rule of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) at the Centre and in Punjab. Umar Cheema in his special report The News writes, “Farah’s penchant for luxury items is also evident from her bid to buy a luxury car, Porsche, which she got booked through Porsche’s Pakistani dealer and paid a part amount of it (Rs33 million) as advance. This she declared in the nomination papers she submitted for the Senate election in March 2021. Later, Farah pulled out from the Senate race.”

  • PML-N’s Miftah Ismail fact-checked by PTI’s Hammad Azhar on load-shedding, Miftah acknowledges

    PML-N’s Miftah Ismail fact-checked by PTI’s Hammad Azhar on load-shedding, Miftah acknowledges

    Miftah Ismail, General Secretary of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Sindh, recently took to Twitter, saying that Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has restricted fuel supplies to Independent Power Projects (IPPs), potentially resulting in significant load shedding in the coming week.

    He directly accused Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan of the impending power outage, writing that it is the result of his incompetence, corruption, falsehoods, and “lust for power: that has gotten the country into such a mess.

    After an hour, Former Energy Minister, Hammad Azhar responded to Ismail’s tweet, calling it “Fake news” and claiming that he had checked with PSO and there had been no such supply cuts notified for IPPs.

    “My statement regarding IK’s corruption (Farah), incompetence (Buzdar), lying (Sh Rasheed) & hunger for power (Suri) is valid,” Ismail responded with a strange tweet to cover up his incorrect finding about PSO.

    It is worth noting that PSO serves a diverse range of customers, including Pakistan’s industrial sector, several power projects, aviation, and maritime sectors. On a daily basis, the company meets the POL needs of millions of clients.

    Apart from selling oil to Pakistan’s power utilities, such as K-Electric and Wapda, PSO is the primary supplier of furnace oil to all IPPs in the country, with a local market share of more than 80 per cent.

  • US Airport: Advanced security system asks ‘Are you a Terrorist?’ from people

    The United States (US) has installed self-check-in kiosks at airports across the country for advanced security measures. People are being asked the problematic query, “Are You a Terrorist?” with a “Yes” or “No” option.

    A freelance journalist, Asaad Sam Hanna shared an image of the kiosk on his Twitter where users started debating the query with amusement on how it provides security at airports.

    One user commented jokingly, “there should be a third option: “Yes” “No” and “It’s complicated.”

    Another user considered it a bad step was taken for security, “I really don’t understand how, since 9/11, our airport check-in has become more computerized, w much less human-to-human interactions. Given past observations by agents who have noticed suspicious behavior, seems like a bad thing for security.”

    One user raised the question, “Does this question appears to white ppl or do they recognize their features and skip this question?”

    One user explained the purpose of this query, “If you are (terrorist), and you lie, it’s a way for law enforcement to bring additional charges. Then they will go for what they can make stick.”

    https://twitter.com/lisaborel/status/1511580182410268672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1511580182410268672%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geo.tv%2Flatest%2F409911-are-you-a-terrorist-asks-us-airports-advance-security
  • Political use of ‘diplomatic cable’ to haunt Pakistan’s Foreign Office for many years: report

    Political use of ‘diplomatic cable’ to haunt Pakistan’s Foreign Office for many years: report

    The ‘diplomatic cable’ which has plunged Pakistan into a constitutional crisis, also attracted fair resentment from the Foreign Office (FO) against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for using the communique for gaining ‘political mileage’.

    Kamran Yousaf in his report for The Express Tribune writes, “Two Foreign Office officials, spoke to The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity due to sensitivity of the issue, revealed that the diplomats were not happy with the controversy.”

    One diplomatic on condition of anonymity told Yousaf that the repercussions of the way the government used “secret and classified communication” to achieve its “political objectives and its negative impact” would be felt in the FO for “many years” to come.

    “Diplomats are eyes and ears of Pakistan who give frank and honest feedback from the countries where they serve,” the official added.

    “Such honest and candid assessments are meant for policymakers to devise a strategy accordingly,” the official explained.

    “But if governments start using such secret communications for their political gains, then the diplomats would be reluctant to write honest assessments,” the official cautioned.

    “If the Foreign Office start making public diplomatic cables, people would be blown away,” the official said, insisting such candid discussions between diplomats are common.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on April 3, named Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu as the United States (US) representative who had a meeting with Pakistan’s Ambassador in the US, which led to the “threatening diplomatic cable”.

    PM Khan on March 27 claimed that the Opposition’s no-trust move is part of an alleged “foreign-funded conspiracy” hatched against his government. It is pertinent to mention here that the Opposition tabled the no-confidence motion against PM Khan on March 8. The government claims to have received the threatening communique on March 7.

  • Rapid melting in West Antarctica to push sea levels 10ft high

    Rapid melting in West Antarctica to push sea levels 10ft high

    Scientists have warned that the melting of ice in the West Antarctica Ice sheet can cause global sea levels to rise up to 10 feet as the Antarctic ice reaches a second-lowest level in 44 years, Daily Mail reported. 

    New satellite data has revealed that the Antarctic sea has reached its second-lowest ice level in the last 44 years. Scientists have warned that the melting of ice in West Antarctica could cause global sea levels to rise by up to 10 feet.

    The data analysis, done in March, revealed that the amount of sea ice in the Antarctic region was 26 % less than the 1991-2020 average.

    The data collected by the Copernicus Climate Change Service(C3S) also revealed that, with a global average temperature rise of 0.4C, March 2022 was the fifth warmest March ever recorded.

    Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have warned that the melting of ice in the West Antarctic Sheet could cause global sea levels to rise by up to 10 feet (3 metres).

    Ice melt in the West Antarctic region in the Amundsen Sea Antarctica is one the most rapidly growing and concerning contributions to global sea levels rise.

    The ice loss patterns hint that the ocean may have been warming in the Amundsen Sea over the past century but observations in the region only began in 1994.

    The lead author of the study and ocean-ice modeller at BAS Dr Kaitlin Naughten said that their simulations show how the Amundsen Sea responds to long-term trends in the atmosphere, specifically the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds.

  • Toyota Pakistan records highest monthly sales, selling 7,132 vehicles in March 2022

    Toyota Pakistan records highest monthly sales, selling 7,132 vehicles in March 2022

    Toyota Indus Motor Company (IMC) achieved a new monthly milestone in March 2022, selling 7,132 vehicles, exceeding the prior record of 7,001 vehicles sold last year in October.

    It is pertinent to mention that the manufacturer has established a monthly sales record for the third time in the last eight months, which is a remarkable achievement.

    IMC has experienced tremendous growth over almost three decades of competence in producing and marketing Toyota cars in Pakistan. It was also revealed that the recent sales are the biggest since the company’s inception in 1993, for which the business has extended gratitude to its devoted customers.

    As consumer demand has grown over time, the corporation has made significant efforts to expand its capacity in order to satisfy the demands for innovative products.

    One of the most popular models from Toyota Pakistan is the iconic Toyota Corolla, which is also one of Asia’s most popular automobiles. The latter has been quite successful for decades now, accounting for the best sales.

    Due to its relatively faster delivery period than other car brands in Pakistan, the automaker has a broad demand in the nation and appeals to a wider clientele for its durable and trusted offerings.

    Reportedly, the Toyota Yaris has a two-month delivery wait as opposed to the Honda City’s four-month delivery period.

    In order to maintain quality standards, the firm invests heavily in coaching and motivating its qualified personnel. The corporation places a strong emphasis on corporate ethics along with employee and customer safety.

    On the flip side, the corporation may have to raise prices once again due to worldwide logistical issues, rising freight costs, and the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee.

    Imported raw materials have become pricier for automakers as the rupee continues to depreciate against the US dollar. As a consequence, IMC said that overall sales may drop by nearly 15 per cent over the coming years.

  • Largest virus outbreak: China relies on TCM to fight Covid-19

    Largest virus outbreak: China relies on TCM to fight Covid-19

    Shanghai is distributing to residents millions of boxes of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), such as herbal products and flu capsules, which it says can treat Covid-19 in the battle to control its largest virus outbreak.

    China’s commercial capital, now under an extended lockdown, reported more than 17,000 new Covid-19 infections on April 5, including 311 symptomatic cases, among a population of more than 26 million.

    “Facing the extremely transmissible Omicron variant, we should use TCM treatment as soon as possible,” said Fang Min, president of the city’s Shuguang Hospital.

    “For general public, including high-risk groups, taking TCM treatment when the epidemic is severe has good preventive effect,” he told a news briefing on Tuesday, adding that such treatments for more than 21 million people had been handed out.

    Several residents told Reuters they had received free boxes of over-the-counter flu medicine Lianhua Qingwen from neighbourhood committees in recent weeks. Others who caught Covid said they got TCM medication to be dissolved in hot water.

    About 98% of Shanghai’s Covid-19 patients are taking TCM treatment, and teams of TCM workers have fanned out to designated hospitals and quarantine sites since the latest outbreak began in March, Fang said.

    China’s health authority has recommended several TCM drugs and ingredients, such as Lianhua Qingwen, for use by Covid-19 patients, although a lack of reliable clinical data limits their use outside the country.

    China approved several treatments including Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Brii Biosciences Ltd’s antibody-based medicine to treat Covid patients, but it is not clear how widely they are used.

    Reuters

  • India detects first case of Covid Variant XE

    India detects first case of Covid Variant XE

    India’s first case of coronavirus variant XE was detected in Mumbai on Wednesday, Indian media reported.

    The patient is a 50-year-old costume designer who returned from South Africa in February. She tested positive for Covid on March 2, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in its release.

    This strain was detected in the UK at the start of the New Year. Britain’s health agency had on April 3 said that XE was first detected on January 19 and 637 cases of the new variant have been reported in the country so far.

    The new mutation XE appears to be 10 per cent more transmissible than the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

    A case of the Kappa variant has also been detected in India.