Author: newsdesk

  • Babar Azam to file defamation case against YouTubers and former players

    Babar Azam to file defamation case against YouTubers and former players

    Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam has decided to file defamation cases against YouTubers and former players who made baseless allegations against him.

    The national cricket team, especially captain Babar Azam, has been heavily criticized after their poor performance in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup and subsequent exit in the first round.

    According to Geo sources, a relentless social media campaign was launched against Babar Azam during the T20 World Cup, deeply affecting the captain’s morale. He was disheartened by the unfounded allegations made by former players and some journalists.

    The skipper has started consulting with a legal team, and PCB’s legal department is also collecting data on the statements of YouTubers and former players.

    Notably, Mubashar Luman had alleged that Babar had indulged in match-fixing on his YouTube Channel.

  • ICC approved Pakistan’s proposed schedule for Champions Trophy

    ICC approved Pakistan’s proposed schedule for Champions Trophy

    The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved Pakistan’s proposed schedule for the Champions Trophy 2025.

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will share the Champions Trophy schedule with other boards next week. PCB had sent the Champions Trophy schedule to ICC a few weeks ago. The Champions Trophy will be held from February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan.

    The ICC will now send the schedule to seven other countries, Australia, England, India, and South Africa, in the Champions Trophy hosted by Pakistan. Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Afghanistan are included.

    According to the proposed schedule, the matches of the Indian team will be held in Lahore and the final will also be held in Lahore. PCB is getting good signals about the Indian team coming to Pakistan while the teams from other countries have come to Pakistan and played the series.

    Other countries are willing to hold the Champions Trophy in Pakistan as scheduled, but due to the consent of other countries, it will be difficult for India to refuse.

  • Pakistan assembles 13.8 million mobile phones in five months amid challenges

    Pakistan assembles 13.8 million mobile phones in five months amid challenges

    In a significant achievement, local mobile assembly and manufacturers in Pakistan have collectively produced 13.8 million mobile phones during the first five months of the ongoing fiscal year (January-May 2024), according to recent data released by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

    While the country has made strides in local production, commercial imports of mobile phones have dwindled to a mere 0.75 million units during the same period.

    The PTA’s data breakdown reveals that out of the total 13.8 million devices produced, 8.1 million were smartphones, while the remaining 4.98 million were 2G devices.

    Among the brands, Infinix led the production charts with 1.46 million units manufactured from January to April 2024. Itel and VGO TEL followed, with outputs of 1.29 million and 1.14 million units, respectively.

    This growth in local production comes despite a declining trend since 2022, attributed to the country’s economic depression and rising interest rates, which have constrained the local industry.

    Moreover, commercial imports have seen a sharp decline from 24.66 million units in 2021 to just 1.58 million units in 2023, indicating a heavier reliance on domestic production to meet local demand.

    The significant drop in imports is largely due to the central bank’s import restrictions aimed at curbing the trade deficit and reducing the outflow of foreign currency.

    With the expanding reach of internet services, the proportion of smartphone users on Pakistan’s network has risen to 61 per cent, up from 59 per cent in 2023 and 56 per cent in 2022. Conversely, the use of 2G devices has decreased to 39 per cent, compared to 41 per cent in 2023 and 44 per cent in 2022.

    The recently announced budget for the upcoming fiscal year (FY25) sets a standard rate of 18 per cent on mobile phones, while devices valued at more than $500 will continue to be taxed at the existing rate of 25 per cent.

    Additionally, the government has proposed increasing the withholding tax rate from 15 per cent to 75 per cent for individuals listed in the income tax general order for non-filing of returns despite receiving notices.

    These measures reflect the government’s efforts to bolster local production and reduce dependency on imports, thereby supporting the domestic mobile phone manufacturing industry.

  • ‘Just a coincidence’: Ahsan Khan on marrying outside the industry

    ‘Just a coincidence’: Ahsan Khan on marrying outside the industry

    Love may find its way into the most unexpected locations, and for celebrities, sometimes the heart chooses to follow a path away from the spotlight. This was the situation with actor Ahsan Khan who recently revealed that his marriage to a girl who was not part of the entertainment industry was entirely accidental.
    Ahsan Khan recently sat down with the ‘Samma Podcast’ to talk about a host of issues.

    “There are many educated, well-mannered, and family-oriented girls from good backgrounds in our industry, but their marriages have taken place outside the industry,” he observed.
    Calling it “just a coincidence” that his mind matched with a girl outside the industry, Ahsan simply said he liked her.
    Ahsan Khan married his wife Fatima Khan in 2008.

  • Israeli military spokesman admits Hamas can’t be destroyed, enraging Netanyahu

    Israeli military spokesman admits Hamas can’t be destroyed, enraging Netanyahu

    Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari has acknowledged that the Palestinian resistance organization Hamas is an ideology that cannot be defeated. The statement has exposed the rift between the country’s political and military leadership, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently claimed that only the destruction of Hamas can bring an end to the war on Gaza.

    In an interview with CBS News, the spokesman of the Israeli army, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said that anyone who thinks that we will eliminate Hamas is mistaken. “Hamas is an idea, Hamas is a party. It’s rooted in the hearts of the people – whoever thinks we can eliminate Hamas is wrong,” Hagari was seen saying.

    The statement of Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari is being taken as proof of a conflict between the Israeli army and the government, an example of which is the replacement of the Israeli war cabinet with a reduced kitchen cabinet.

    However, Netanyahu’s office strongly denied the statement of the spokesman of the Israeli army and reiterated his determination to eliminate Hamas completely.

    Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut reported that Netanyahu’s office was “fuming” at Hagari’s remarks.

    “This just gives you an idea of what Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies are in this war, and the army on the ground saying it is actually not realistic,” she stressed.

    On the other hand, the Israeli military said that the statement of Admiral Daniel Hagari is being taken out of context, and he has clearly declared the elimination of Hamas as the ideology of the Israeli army, which we are determined to achieve.

    Hagari’s comments, the statement said, “referred to the destruction of Hamas as an ideology and an idea, and this was said by him very clearly and explicitly,” the military statement added. “Any other claim is taking things out of context.”

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that it is impossible to end the war without eliminating Hamas, but even though the Zionist forces have martyred nearly 40,000 Palestinians in the ongoing genocide since October 7, they have failed to eliminate Hamas.

  • How many tourists visited Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during Eid?

    How many tourists visited Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during Eid?

    Pakistanis celebrated Eid-ul-Azha from June 17 to 19. During this extended break, more than 400,000 tourists reportedly visited various tourist spots in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    Over 174,000 tourists visited Naran Kaghan, 162,000 tourists traveled to Galiyat, 46,000 visited Malam Jabba, and 23,000 explored Upper Dir.

    According to the tourism department, 2,920 tourists visited Upper Dir, 1,830 visited Lower Chitral, and 570 explored Upper Chitral during this period.

  • PML-N is in government due to PPP, says Hassan Murtaza

    PML-N is in government due to PPP, says Hassan Murtaza

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) central Punjab’s General Secretary Hassan Mutaza said on Friday that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is in power due to the support of his party, adding that 45 PPP MNAs are the government’s lifeline.

    In a video statement, the PPP leader addressed Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif: “If it were not for the PPP, you wouldn’t have been in the Prime Minister’s House; rather, you would have been in Adiala jail.”

    By minusing PPP, all of PML-N will land in jail, Murtaza said.

    Earlier, PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi said in an interview that it is compulsory for PPP to be an ally of government, but not for his party.

    However, Hassan Murtaza said that Hanif Abbasi should stop doing politics of hate and urged people within the PML-N to discourage people like Hanif Abbasi.

  • 24-karat gold price increases by Rs1,600 to Rs242,900 per tola in Pakistan

    24-karat gold price increases by Rs1,600 to Rs242,900 per tola in Pakistan

    The price of gold in Pakistan saw a significant increase on Friday, with 24-karat gold reaching Rs242,900 per tola, marking a rise of Rs1,600 per tola. Despite this increase, the price is notably Rs4,500 below its actual cost due to a decline in purchasing power.

    The Karachi Sarafa Association reported that the price of 24-karat gold per 10 grammes rose to Rs208,248, an increase of Rs1,372. Similarly, 22-karat gold prices also saw a hike, reaching Rs190,894 per 10 grammes.

    In contrast, silver prices remained stable in the domestic market. The price of 24-karat silver stood at Rs2,750 per tola and Rs2,358 per 10 grammes.

    On the global market, spot gold was trading near $2,364 an ounce, a modest increase of $3.9 or 0.17 per cent from the previous session. The precious metal is poised for a second consecutive weekly gain, bolstered by softer U.S. economic data that has fueled investor optimism about potential monetary easing.

    Thursday’s data showed a moderate decline in first-time applications for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, coupled with a drop in new housing construction. Additionally, retail sales data from the previous month were tepid, all of which have increased the likelihood of a rate cut in September, according to Reuters.

    Lower interest rates tend to reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion, making gold a more attractive investment. Meanwhile, China’s yuan fell to a fresh seven-month low against the dollar, further influencing the global economic landscape.

  • BYD enters partnership to launch electric vehicles in Pakistan

    BYD enters partnership to launch electric vehicles in Pakistan

    The Hub Power Company Limited (HUBCO) announced on Friday that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Hub Power Holdings, through its associated company Mega Motor Company (Private) Limited, is set to venture into the electric vehicle (EV) market in collaboration with BYD Auto Industry Company Limited.

    BYD is globally recognised as a leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles.

    The announcement was made in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), where HUBCO detailed the new strategic initiative. “We hereby convey the following information: Hub Power Holdings Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hub Power Company Limited, through its associated company, Mega Motor Company (Private) Limited, is entering into a new line of business in electric vehicles, with BYD Auto Industry Company Limited, in Pakistan,” the notice stated.

    This partnership is a significant step as Pakistan aims to transition towards more sustainable and energy-efficient transportation solutions.

    According to Business Recorder, in April, BYD had already signalled its intentions to collaborate with local partner Mega Conglomerate (Private) Limited to bring innovative New Energy Vehicle (NEV) solutions to the Pakistani market.

    BYD, which surpassed Tesla in 2023 to become the largest producer of electric vehicles worldwide, is poised to leverage its expertise to drive this new venture.

    This collaboration comes at a critical juncture as Pakistan grapples with environmental challenges, including air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

    The introduction of BYD’s EVs is expected to provide a cleaner alternative to traditional gasoline and diesel vehicles.

    The notice from HUBCO also mentioned that the finalisation of this venture will involve the execution of definitive agreements and the purchase of necessary assets, pending corporate and regulatory approvals.

  • After ex-COAS Bajwa, PTI begging ‘someone else’ now for relief: Khawaja Asif

    After ex-COAS Bajwa, PTI begging ‘someone else’ now for relief: Khawaja Asif

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif took Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to the cleaners saying that PTI is “begging someone else” for relief because previously that “someone” was former Army Chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    Asif alleged that Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) leader Aun Chaudhry hid former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the car’s trunk to take him to General (retd) Amjad Awan’s house.

    Asif also claimed that Imran Khan tried everything to seek relief falling short of holding General Bajwa’s feet.

    The Defence Minister’s hard-hitting statement came in response to PTI Secretary-General Omar Ayub Khan’s criticism of the government’s new economic budget.