Author: newsdesk

  • Pakistan to lose Rs628,000,000,000 by June

    Pakistan to lose Rs628,000,000,000 by June

    A report prepared by the sub-committee of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) for coronavirus has said that the country, due to an adverse impact of COVID-19 on the economy, will record a loss of over Rs628 billion by the end of the current financial year.

    The report ‘COVID-19: Preliminary Macroeconomic and Socioeconomic Assessment’ said almost all the departments of the country were going in a loss due to lack of human activity in the wake of the pandemic that has killed over 200,000 people worldwide.

    Giving a breakdown of the losses, the report said the Aviation Division will face an estimated financial loss of Rs13.6bn; the Pakistan Stock Exchange Rs250bn; Petroleum Division Rs 87bn; Ministry of Energy (Power Division) Rs136bn; Pakistan Railways over Rs7 bn; National Food Security Rs 55bn; Overseas Pakistanis over Rs 76bn; Ministry of Information Technology Rs1-5bn under the head of withholding tax; and Maritime Affairs will report a loss of Rs30 million.

    It further said that the Federal Board of Revenue will face a total estimated revenue shortfall of Rs600bn in the last three months of the current financial year.

    The report also suggested the way forward to deal with losses, saying some measures have already been taken.

  • Can’t test people only to see if they have coronavirus or not: Dr Yasmin Rashid

    Can’t test people only to see if they have coronavirus or not: Dr Yasmin Rashid

    In a statement for which she is being trolled, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that the government cannot conduct tests of people “only to check if they have coronavirus or not”.

    Reports quoted the minister as contradicting the only utility of the tests amid the global COVID-19 outbreak, leaving people wondering what else were tests being conducted for.

    She further said that 90 per cent of coronavirus patients reported to the health officials had shown no symptoms after contracting the virus.

    “We need to create awareness among the masses regarding coronavirus and how it could be avoided,” the minister said, adding that Pakistan had less cases as compared to several other countries across the globe.

    Dr Yasmin further said that the nation had to show a compassionate behavior towards the masses at the time of the pandemic.

    Separately, she said that the Punjab government had conducted 101,897 tests so far, out of which 5,043 were conducted in a single day on May 4.

    “8103 cases were reported positive, we sadly lost 136 people but by the grace of Allah SWT 2,716 patients recovered fully to return home safe & sound [sic],” she tweeted.

    PUNJAB LOCKDOWN:

    Meanwhile, the Punjab government has decided to ease the ongoing lockdown after May 9 as the provincial tally of COVID-19 infections reaches 8,693 — highest in the country.

    Textile, steel and spare part shops will be allowed to operate for six hours. Shopkeepers have reportedly been directed to strictly follow SOPs while dealing with the public.

    Parks will also be reopened but swings will remain closed.

    The province made the announcement prior to the National Command and Operation Centre meeting that is due to take place today.

    Planning Minister Asad Umar will chair the meeting in Islamabad to decide whether the country-wide lockdown will be extended after May 9 or not. The chief ministers from all provinces will attend the meeting via video link.

    It is expected that the provinces will be told to decide on lockdown restrictions by themselves.

  • VIDEO: ‘Pakistan’s only mind reader’ leaves Maulana Tariq Jamil shocked

    VIDEO: ‘Pakistan’s only mind reader’ leaves Maulana Tariq Jamil shocked

    Renowned preacher Maulana Tariq Jameel, who had recently made headlines for his controversial remarks during a live telethon to raise funds for coronavirus relief, was left astonished by the ability of a mentalist who read his mind, an undated viral video showed on Wednesday.

    In the video, Shaheer Khan, who is known for his mind reading skills, asks Maulana to imagine a situation that he has not written down or shared with people.

    He then holds the religious scholar’s hand and starts revealing what the latter is thinking.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Breaking into laughter after the mentalist hits the bullseye, Maulana Tariq lauds Shaheer and jokingly offers to become his follower.

    Shaheer Khan, who rose to fame owing to his mind-boggling ability to read minds, is the country’s first-ever and “only” mentalist. His shows have proven his rising popularity and left many scratching their heads.

    He has been able to guess Rameez Raja’s ATM pin, Waseem Akram’s favourite cricketer and the name of Harsha Bhogle’s first childhood crush.

    While many people claim that the only way to explain his abilities is by the use of the supernatural powers, Shaheer himself says he has just been extremely intuitive ever since he was a kid.

  • ‘U-Turn’: Ahmadis excluded from National Commission for Minorities

    ‘U-Turn’: Ahmadis excluded from National Commission for Minorities

    In what netizens are calling “another U-Turn by the ruling party”, the federal government has reportedly withdrawn its decision of including Ahmadis to the National Commission for Minorities.

    According to reports, following recommendations from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the government on Tuesday withdrew its earlier decision to give representation to the Ahmadi community in the minorities commission.

    They said that the decision was reconsidered after the move sparked fierce criticism from the religious right on mainstream and social media.

    Meanwhile, the federal cabinet has approved the reconstitution of the commission.

    A Hindu community member from Sindh, Chela Ram Kewlani has been named as chairman of the commission while Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad and Mufti Gulzar Ahmed Naeemi will represent the Muslim community.

    Three members each have been selected from the Hindu and Christian communities, while two members have been named from the Sikh community and one member each will represent Kelash and Parsi communities in the commission. The chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) will be the commission’s ex-officio member while the religious affairs secretary will also act as the commission’s secretary.

    The federal cabinet on April 15 had decided in principle that the Ahmadi community, being a minority in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan, should also be represented in the commission.

    The Ahmadi community of Pakistan was to be included in the commission for the first time since 1974, when they were declared non-Muslim by the then Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government.

  • ‘Death by massage’: police arrest serial killer masseur

    ‘Death by massage’: police arrest serial killer masseur

    The Lahore police have arrested a serial killer identified as Ejaz alias Jajji, who killed his victims by giving them massages.

    According to a report in The Express Tribune, the accused confessed to killing five people during initial interrogation. The police revealed that Jajji worked as a masseur (a person who provides massage professionally) and used his profession to lure victims. He would convince his clients to go to a deserted place to avail his services and would snap their neck bone or stab them to death while giving them a massage.

    After murdering them, he would rob them of their valuables and escape.

    Jajji murdered at least four men in Lahore and also confessed to committing a murder in Rawalpindi. While he has now been nabbed by the police, the search for his two accomplices is still underway.

    The police said that though this case was unique, it was not unheard of. They explained that masseurs are experts in veins and blood pressure points in the body that are closely linked with the nervous system. In the past, dozens of cases have been reported in which people were rendered unconscious using massaging techniques so that swindlers could loot their ‘clients’. The practise is reportedly common in areas like Data Darbar and Yadgar. Such looting tactics are locally known as “applying formula”.

    The police expressed their concern over this new trend of murdering people and said that they are investigating it.

  • ‘Kitna khoobsurat lagta hai’: Irrfan Khan about PM Imran Khan

    ‘Kitna khoobsurat lagta hai’: Irrfan Khan about PM Imran Khan

    Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan, who passed away last week, was not only a cricket buff but was also a big fan of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    In an interview with Telegraph India, Irrfan had expressed his fondness for two legendary Pakistani cricketers Imran Khan and Zaheer Abbas and recalled his meeting with them.

    “There was an India-Pakistan match. I was very young. Zaheer Abbas was there. I went to take his autograph. That was the first time as I never took autographs from anybody in my life. He just looked at me… and I felt so humiliated. I felt really bad,” said the late actor. “I was a Zaheer Abbas and Imran Khan fan.”

    Speaking about PM Imran, Irrfan had said, “Imran kitna khubsoorat lagta hai! What a persona… open-chested, aisi uchhal ke bowling karta tha. Even now, he looks great.”

    Read more – Sherry Rehman calls Irrfan Khan ‘one of Pakistan’s best’

    Irrfan had also expressed his appreciation about other sportsmen including Kapil Dev and David Beckham.

    “David Beckham is also very good-looking. Beckham ka ajeeb sa hai… anything suits him. Very stylish,” he said about Beckham.

    He added, “At one point in time, I used to like Sachin (Tendulkar). Kapil (Dev) was also a favourite. (M.S.) Dhoni has shown some character. He is a great captain.”

    It is a well-known fact that Irrfan was a huge cricket fan. In fact back in 2018, while he was in London for his treatment, Irrfan was spotted in the stands during Pakistan versus England Test match.

    Irrfan had also expressed his desire to be a cricketer but due to financial issues, he decided to give up that dream and pursue acting instead.

    “I played cricket. I wanted to become a cricketer. I was an all-rounder and the youngest one in my team in Jaipur. I wanted to make a career out of it. I was selected for the CK Nayudu tournament I think and then I needed money and didn’t know who to ask. That day I decided I cannot pursue it,” Khan had said in the same interview.

  • You can now get Kate Middleton’s Élan look

    You can now get Kate Middleton’s Élan look

    Remember the pristine white and black Élan kurta Kate Middleton wore on her last day in Pakistan? It will soon be available for a whopping Rs 29,500.

    The kurta is part of Élan’s Eid Collection, launching on May 10. According to the brand, the monochrome outfit has been titled ‘Royal Garden’ and is made of traditional handspun 100% pure grip silk. It features “beautifully delicate floral and tribal embroideries in ebony silk thread on a pristine ivory base.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_u76hXgMaa/

    The Duchess of Cambridge had worn the outfit on a private visit she and her husband had undertaken to the SOS Village in Lahore. She had paired the kurta with straight white pants and nude heels. Kate’s team had reportedly discovered Elan’s outfits on Instagram.

    Meanwhile in an interview with The Current, Élan’s founder and creative head Khadija Shah had talked about dressing up the Duchess and how she felt when she received a thank you note from her.

    “I thought somebody was playing a prank,” said Khadija recalling the time when she was approached to make a dress for Kate. “So when we were contacted and the message came through, I told my social media manager to go and check-up the person and see if it was really somebody from the Palace.”

    “And we discovered, it really was someone from the Palace,” continued the designer. “It was really overwhelming and very exciting.”

    Khadija further shared that she never expected a letter of thanks from the Duchess but when was overjoyed when she received the letter and immediately took a picture of it.

    Read more – Khadija Shah receives a signed ‘Thank you note’ from Kate Middleton

    Watch the full interview here:

  • France accuses Apple of not helping it with COVID-19 app

    France accuses Apple of not helping it with COVID-19 app

    Tech giant Apple Inc. allegedly refused to help France in its efforts to fight the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — by refusing to make iPhones compatible with a contact-tracing app called “StopCovid”.

    Countries are increasingly developing smartphone apps and taking technical measures to keep the global pandemic in check while reopening the hard-hit economy.

    These dedicated apps use Bluetooth to allow phones to interact with nearby devices and detect when users, who are potential carriers of the deadly virus, come into contact.

    Usually, Apple’s iPhone blocks access to Bluetooth in background running apps, unless the users allow it themselves.

    According to reports, French officials want Apple to change the settings to let their app access Bluetooth in the background, however, the company refused to make the said modifications.

    “Apple could have helped us make the application work even better on the iPhone. They have not wished to do so. I regret this, given that we are in a period where everyone is mobilised to fight against the epidemic, and given that a large company that is doing so well economically is not helping out the government in crisis,” said French minister for digital technology in an official statement.

    A spokesperson for Apple in France, on the other hand, declined to comment on the matter.

    Certain speculations are, however, being made.

    Companies like Apple and Google — who are responsible for managing the data of almost all smartphones — want the data of phones to stay in the device, rather placing it in central databases that are managed by governments around the world.

    However, France and other countries want to keep contact data in the central database, which can trigger security breaches and pose threats to users.

    The French minister thinks that “oversight of the healthcare system, fighting the coronavirus, is a matter for governments and not necessarily for big American companies.”

    “The app should be ready to be deployed by June 2 regardless of Apple’s stance, and would enter a testing phase by May 11, when the country starts to unwind its lockdown,” he reportedly said.

    It merits a mention that In France, Apple’s mobile operating system accounted for 21.1 per cent of the market in the first quarter, while Google’s Android accounted for 78.8%. Britain, which is using the same centralised approach as France to store data, will start testing its COVID-19 tracing app on the Isle of Wight from Tuesday (today).

  • PM Imran approves special CSS exam to fill 188 vacancies

    PM Imran approves special CSS exam to fill 188 vacancies

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has approved the special Central Superior Service (CSS) exam to fill 188 vacancies.

    “Balochistan 49, Rural Sind 41, Urban Sind 19, KP 22, ex Fata/GB 16 & AJK 2. We truly believe in giving equal opportunities to all federating units [sic],” tweeted Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Establishment Shehzad Arbab.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Arbab said the exam is likely to be conducted by year-end.

    Annual CSS examinations are held to recruit candidates to the permanent elite bureaucratic authority, and the civil service that is responsible for running the civilian bureaucratic operations and government secretariats and directorates of the Cabinet of Pakistan. The premier is the final authority on all matters regarding the civil service.

  • LUMS breaks silence on fee hike amid coronavirus outbreak

    LUMS breaks silence on fee hike amid coronavirus outbreak

    Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) clarified on Monday that the hike was decided before the Covid-19 outbreak in the country. This official statement came when people were protesting on Twitter against 41 per cent tuition fee increase.

    The statement was issued by the office of Vice-Chancellor Dr Arshad Ahmed which states that the increment was “entirely consistent with prior years and took into account extraordinary increases in inflation, energy costs and currency devaluation.”

    According to reports, per credit hour fee has been increased by 13 per cent. On average, students opt for 16 credit hours per semester, this adds up to 41 per cent overall increase in tuition fees.

    “The increase was 13 per cent which we will monitor in determining the next fee card. Previously, a blanket fee was being charged for students registering between 12 to 20 credit hours. This fee is now [being] calculated on per credit hour basis which will increase the semester fees for some and decrease it for others [depending on the number of registered credit hours],” the statement said.

    Furthermore, one of the reasons behind increasing the fee is to “discourage students from taking course overloads which negatively impacts their learning.”
    “LUMS fees cover a fraction of the total costs. As a not-for-profit university, gifts from donors, trustees, etc. helps to subsidize one out of three students.”

    Yesterday, ‘#LUMSFeeHike’ was trending on twitter after the Lahore University of Management and Sciences (LUMS) confirmed its students through email that they would increase tuition fee by 40 per cent for the upcoming semesters.