Author: newsdesk

  • Govt approves Rs5.72 hike in basic power tariff to offset sector losses

    Govt approves Rs5.72 hike in basic power tariff to offset sector losses

    The federal cabinet has approved a significant increase of Rs5.72 per unit in the basic power tariff through a circular decision. This decision, finalised via a circulation summary, aims to address financial challenges within Pakistan’s power sector.

    Sources familiar with the matter confirmed that the proposal will now be forwarded to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for uniform implementation across the board.

    According to official sources, the Power Division will formally submit an application to NEPRA to initiate the process of implementing the revised tariff structure.

    This adjustment, slated for the fiscal year 2024-2025, is scheduled to come into effect starting July 1, 2024. The approved increase will raise the average basic electricity tariff from Rs29.78 to Rs35.50 per unit.

    A recent report from NEPRA revealed that Pakistan’s power sector incurred a staggering Rs403 billion loss during the fiscal year 2022-2023.

    The report, which assessed the performance of power distribution companies, including K-Electric, highlighted that nine out of these companies failed to achieve full recovery targets. It attributed the financial strain partly to inefficiencies such as line losses and inadequate revenue collection.

    Furthermore, the report underscored that these companies did not fulfill their electricity procurement obligations as per assigned quotas, leading to deliberate load shedding practices. This situation has exacerbated financial losses, amounting to billions in national revenue.

  • Gifts given to wife at time of marriage or before separation cannot be revoked

    Gifts given to wife at time of marriage or before separation cannot be revoked

    The Sindh High Court has ruled that gifts given by a husband to his wife at the time of marriage or before separation cannot be rescinded.

    The Sindh High Court conducted a hearing on a petition about the return of gifts given to the wife either at the time of marriage or before separation.

    The court dismissed Arshad Jameel’s plea against the trial court’s decision and issued a detailed judgement on the appeal.

    According to the court’s decision, gifts given to the wife at the time of marriage or before separation cannot be reclaimed; gifts given during the marriage become the personal property of the wife.

  • Respect my father’s memory: Momina Iqbal’s appeal to fans

    Respect my father’s memory: Momina Iqbal’s appeal to fans

    Momina Iqbal has asked her fans to stop sharing edited videos and pictures of her late father on social media. After her father’s passing, Momina took to Instagram to write about being upset about the edited posts.

    “Please do not edit and share any videos of my father on social media, nor tag me in such videos. This time is very difficult for me,” Momina said in her Instagram story. She explained that sharing these videos is disrespectful and very hurtful while she is grieving.

    She also said, “If you cannot do anything else, please pray for my father. I can’t even imagine that he is not in this world anymore.” Momina shared how deeply sad she is and how hard it is to believe her father is gone. She said she still feels like her father is with her all the time

    “My father can never leave me because he is with me at every moment. I can feel him, so please do not tell me where my father is,” she said, showing how connected she still feels to her late father.

    Momina’s father passed away last month.

  • Babar Azam meets Australia’s power-hitting coach Shannon Young

    Babar Azam meets Australia’s power-hitting coach Shannon Young

    Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam has met Australia’s famous power-hitting coach Shannon Young at a local cricket club in Lahore.

    The famous power hitter has come to Lahore on a private visit. Australia’s new opener Jake Fraser-McGurk, gives all the credit to Shannon Young for his power-hitting.

    Young also coaches Maxwell and Marnus Labuschagne in power-hitting.

    Babar Azam is often criticized for his strike rate.

  • Tax exemption to army officials, bureaucrats challenged in Lahore High Court

    Tax exemption to army officials, bureaucrats challenged in Lahore High Court

     A petition challenging tax exemption conferred to bureaucrats and military officials in the federal budget has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC).

    Advocate Nadeem Sarwar has submitted a plea challenging tax exemption given to certain individuals on behalf of citizen Mashkoor Hussain.

    “The federal government has provided relief to the bureaucracy and military officials in the budget,” the plea read.

     “In the constitution, all citizens are equal; thus, offering tax exemption has been a violation of the constitution,” the petitioner maintained in the filed plea.

    Mashkoor Hussain requested that the court strike down the amendment in section 236 of the Income Tax Ordinance as invalid.

  • When are Ashura holidays expected?

    When are Ashura holidays expected?

    The moon of the new Islamic year 1446 Hijri is likely to be seen in Pakistan on Sunday, July 7.

    Thus, the new Islamic year will start in Pakistan on Monday, July 8, and Ashura Days will be on Wednesday, July 17 and 18.

    However, the meeting of the central moon sighting committee, which is chaired by Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, will be held in Quetta on July 6, while the zonal committee meetings will also be held in the zonal headquarters in Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore.

    In the UAE, the moon of the new Islamic year, 1446 Hijri, is likely to be sighted on Saturday, July 6.

    The UAE government has already declared a public holiday on July 7 in the private sector.

  • Maryam Nawaz says fatwas issued against her for pursuing minor’s rapist

    Maryam Nawaz says fatwas issued against her for pursuing minor’s rapist

    Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz said on Thursday said that when  the Punjab government pursued a sexual assault case, it was turned into a “religious issue.”

    Maryam stated at the Etihad Bainal Muslimeen Conference in Lahore today, “A child was raped, and a religious person who was connected to a seminary was found guilty of it. He was just a little child who was kidnapped from outside the mosque.”

    She further explained, “When the suspect was found guilty, and Punjab Police arrested him – it was twisted into a religious issue. Since then, Fatwas against me have been issued on social media.”

    The Chief Minister said that everyone knows when any person is found guilty of a crime, their punishment according to the law is necessary to uphold the sanctity of religion.

  • Milk in Pakistan now costs more than in many developed countries

    Milk in Pakistan now costs more than in many developed countries

    Milk prices in Pakistan have surged by over 20 per cent following the introduction of a new tax, making the essential dairy product more expensive than in many developed nations, according to a report by Bloomberg.

    In Karachi supermarkets, the price of ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk has risen to Rs370 ($1.33) per litre. In comparison, the price stands at $1.29 in Amsterdam, $1.23 in Paris, and $1.08 in Melbourne, as per Bloomberg’s data.

    This sharp increase is attributed to an 18 per cent tax imposed on packaged milk as part of the recent taxation changes approved in the national budget. Previously, packaged milk was exempt from tax.

    Muhammad Nasir, a spokesman for the local unit of Dutch dairy producer Royal FrieslandCampina NV, noted that prior to this tax, milk prices in Pakistan were on par with those in developing countries such as Vietnam and Nigeria. The new tax has led to retail prices escalating by up to 25 per cent.

    The hike in milk prices is expected to exacerbate inflation in Pakistan, where stagnant wages have already diminished purchasing power.

    Additionally, the higher cost of milk may further deteriorate child health, a significant concern in a country where approximately 40 per cent of the population lives in poverty.

  • Gold price increases by Rs1,000 to Rs243,300 per tola

    Gold price increases by Rs1,000 to Rs243,300 per tola

    Gold prices in Pakistan experienced a significant rise on Thursday, with 24-karat gold now being sold at Rs243,300 per tola, marking an increase of Rs1,000 per tola from the previous day.

    Despite this increase, the price remains Rs3,000 below its actual cost, reflecting the ongoing reduction in purchasing power.

    The Karachi Sarafa Association reported that the price of 24-karat gold per 10 grammes rose by Rs857, reaching Rs208,590. In comparison, 22-karat gold saw a similar upward trend, priced at Rs191,207 per 10 grammes.

    In contrast, silver prices remained stable in the domestic market. The price of 24-karat silver stood at Rs2,850 per tola and Rs2,443 per 10 grammes, showing no change from the previous rates.

    On the international stage, spot gold traded near $2,357 an ounce, a slight decline of $2.2 or 0.09 per cent from the previous session. This minor dip did not significantly impact the local market, where the primary concern remains the diminished purchasing power of consumers.

    The ongoing fluctuations in gold prices highlight the broader economic challenges facing consumers and traders alike in Pakistan.

  • Export of donkey skin, meat from Pakistan to China confirmed

    Export of donkey skin, meat from Pakistan to China confirmed

    The Senate’s Standing Committee on Commerce has been informed that the protocol for exporting donkey skins and meat to China has been finalised.

    Ahsan Ali Mangi, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, stated that in addition to the export of donkey skin and meat, protocols for exporting onions, potatoes, and chillies to China have also been finalised.

    Senator Anusha Rehman emphasised that Pakistan produces only one-fifth of its onion demand, making it challenging to justify exporting onions to China.

    The ministry has also reportedly proposed establishing nine new missions, including in Malaysia, Iraq, Oman, Tanzania, Kenya, and Mozambique.