Author: newsdesk

  • Hafiz Naeem wants Army Chief and bureaucrats to give up their privileges

    Hafiz Naeem wants Army Chief and bureaucrats to give up their privileges

    Central Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has demanded that bureaucrats and the Army Chief give up their extra privileges as the country grapples with exorbitant taxes.

    Addressing a media group dinner in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem said that the country is facing a severe and immediate “brain drain.” The Army Chief should announce the withdrawal of extra privileges, and the country’s bureaucracy should also withdraw their privileges.

    He lamented the country’s socioeconomic problems, saying, “People are leaving Pakistan, and the education system is getting worse.”

    Furthermore, he stated, “Installing solar panels is not the solution to the problem because electricity tariffs should be reduced.”

  • FIFA uses Pakistani song ‘Blockbuster’ for Kylian Mbappe’s entry

    FIFA uses Pakistani song ‘Blockbuster’ for Kylian Mbappe’s entry

    Pakistani music is once again taking the football world by storm. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) selected the viral Pakistani Coke Studio hit Blockbuster on the entry of French football star Kylian Mbappe into the football arena.

    The Federation posted a reel titled ‘Mbappe’s ‘blockbuster’ entry’ on its official TikTok account.

    The song, released on May 25 as part of Coke Studio Pakistan Season 15, has captured the attention of millions of Pakistanis and is also making waves internationally. After seeing FIFA’s post, producer Zulfi took to his Instagram and wrote, “From Coke Studio Pakistan to FIFA’s global stage, our ‘Blockbuster’ just appeared with Mbappe on FIFA’s official TikTok page! Feels real.” Our voice, our beats, cross timelines that were once thought impossible. Congratulations, Pakistan. It’s an outstanding achievement.”

    @fifaworldcup

    Mbappe’s “BLOCKBUSTER” entry

    ♬ original sound – thequickstyle

    ‘Blockbuster’ is a Punjabi song composed and written by Pakistani artists Zulfikar Jabbar Khan (Zulfi), Umair Butt, Faris Shafi and Shamroz Butt.

    Rapper Faris Shafi, Umair Butt and an all-female ensemble called ‘the Gharvi Group’ have sung the dance number.

  • IMF proposes 45 percent tax on agriculture income

    IMF proposes 45 percent tax on agriculture income

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has suggested that the government impose income tax of up to 45 percent on agriculture income as Pakistan seeks another multi-billion dollar bailout to stabilise its economy.

    The condition is part of the structural benchmarks the IMF has set for Pakistan to follow in order to access the next IMF loan that the country is negotiating with the global lender, Tribune reported.

    It also reported that the IMF has set October 2024 as the deadline for amending provincial tax laws to align with federal tax laws.

    Under the constitution, the federal government cannot impose taxes on agricultural income, as it is the provinces’ responsibility.

    Currently, the provinces are authorised to collect taxes from the agriculture sector, which contributes 24 percent to the economy but does not contribute even 0.1 percent of the total taxes collected across the country.

    President Asif Ali Zardari expressed apprehension at the move, saying the government was planning to tax agricultural income as per the IMF’s condition. Still, the provincial governments will lead the initiative to tax large land-holding farmers per their profitability and expenditures.

  • Pakistan’s Sohail sisters creates history in Powerlifting Championship

    Pakistan’s Sohail sisters creates history in Powerlifting Championship

    Veronika and Sybil Sohail, sisters from Pakistan, made history at the Asia-Pacific African Combined Powerlifting Championship by winning four gold medals each.

    Sybil won gold medals in 52 kilograms and Veronika in 57 in the squat, bench press, deadlift and overall categories. Their third sister, Twinkle Sohail, will be in action today.

    The three sisters also created a unique record by participating in an event together.

  • Flour mills across Pakistan to strike over withholding tax

    Flour mills across Pakistan to strike over withholding tax

    Flour mills in different cities have stopped grinding wheat and supplying flour across the country today, leading to fears of a shortage.

    1500 mill owners have gone on strike along with flour dealers, the Flour Mills Association has said.

    Chairman Flour Mills Association Asim Raza said, “We will not collect withholding tax. The price of a bag of flour will rise by Rs 200 after imposing withholding tax.”

    Today, 73 flour mills in Gujranwala district are completely closed, and more than 60 flour mills in Multan are also shut down. Meanwhile, all 100 flour mills are closed in the four districts of the division.

    A spokesperson of the Flour Mills Association stated that after the closure of flour mills in Faisalabad, the supply of 200,000 bags of flour per day has stopped. In contrast, all ten flour mills in Kamalia city and four in Khushab district are closed.

    A strike is also taking place in Peshawar on the appeal of the Flour Mills Association, while in Quetta, a strike is being carried out on the call of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association.

    Chairman Flour Mills Association (South Zone) Aamir Abdullah told Geo News that flour mills in Sindh have also stopped the supply of flour. “Tax collection is the job of FBR; we should not be made tax agents. Until our demands are approved, the supply of wheat products will remain closed.”

    A few days ago, flour mill owners announced a strike while holding a press conference and said that they had tried to negotiate. They stressed that they have conveyed demands to the government that tax collection is not their job.

  • HRCP condemns government’s decision to allow phone tapping

    HRCP condemns government’s decision to allow phone tapping

    The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has raised concerns about the government’s “unconstitutional notification”, which gives immense power to security agencies to trace calls of any citizen.

    “HRCP is deeply concerned by the recent unconstitutional notification issued by the federal government giving intelligence personnel carte blanche to intercept and trace the calls of any citizen in the interest of ‘national security’,” the commission wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

    On Monday, the federal government gave the authority to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to trace the calls and messages of citizens to deal with terrorism in the country.

  • Vicky Kaushal shares photo from early audition days

    Vicky Kaushal shares photo from early audition days

    Vicky Kaushal, one of Bollywood’s most talented actors, has completed 12 amazing years in the film industry. He posted a photo from his early audition days with the caption, “This day, 12 years apart… nothing is overnight. Ever so grateful for all your love and blessings. ❤ ”

    From his early days in films like Masaan and Raman Raghav to his recent hits Sanju, Dunki, and Sardar Udham Singh, Vicky Kaushal has proven his acting chops many times over. His upcoming film Bad Newz stars Tripti Dimri and Ammy Virk. Vicky’s recent dance performance in the song ‘Tauba Tauba’ from the film created buzz on social media. The film will release on July 19, 2024.

  • Pervez Khattak testifies against Khan in Al-Qadir trust case

    Pervez Khattak testifies against Khan in Al-Qadir trust case

    Former Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pervez Khattak, testified against Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Wednesday.

    The case alleges that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanal from Bahria Town to legalise the amount through the federal cabinet.

    Before parting ways with the party, Khattak was a close aide of Khan and served as the defence minister of Pakistan, which he claimed had approved a confidential deed to transfer money to Malik Riaz.

    This is not the first time Khan’s former allies have testified against him in cases. His ex-secretary Azam Khan testified against him in the cipher case, while Aun Chaudhry recorded his statement in the Iddat case.

    Dawn News reported that Imran Khan usually does not move from his chair when witnesses record statements. But in yesterday’s hearing, Khan rose from his chair and approached the witness box to look at his former ally, who had now turned against him.

  • Here is the likely selection committee for cricket team

    Here is the likely selection committee for cricket team

    Details of the new selection committee of the national cricket team have been revealed.

    According to ARY, the committee will include coaches from both formats of the game, along with coaches Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten, Mohammad Yousuf, and Asad Shafiq. The captain of the team’s format will also be included in the selection committee.

    After the team’s poor performance in the T20 World Cup, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi removed Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq from the committee.

  • Euro Cup: England qualifies for the final by defeating Netherlands

    Euro Cup: England qualifies for the final by defeating Netherlands

    In the second semi-final of the Euro Cup, England has defeated the Netherlands by 2-1 to qualify for the final.

    The match between the two teams was played in Dortmund, Germany.

    The Netherlands scored a goal in the seventh minute of the match but could not hold on for long.

    Xavi Simons scored a goal for the Netherlands, while Harry Kane, the player of the English team, scored a penalty in the 18th minute to level the score at one-on-one.

    The score between the two teams in the first half was 1-1, while in the second half, both teams made several attacks on each other’s goals but could not succeed.

    In the last 90 minutes of the match, English player Ollie Watkins scored another goal to give his team a 2-1 lead, which remained until the end of the game.

    The final of the Euro Cup will be played on Sunday between England and Spain in the German city of Berlin.