Author: newsdesk

  • State Bank of Pakistan’s reserves soar to $8.27 billion, highest level since July 2023

    State Bank of Pakistan’s reserves soar to $8.27 billion, highest level since July 2023

    In the latest report, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced a significant rise of $243.1 million, or 3.03 per cent week-on-week, in foreign exchange reserves, reaching $8.27 billion as of January 19, 2024. 

    This boost is credited to the reception of the second installment of SDR 528 million, equivalent to $705.6 million, from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

    After settling government external debt repayments, the net increase for the week stands at $243.1 million, marking the highest level for SBP’s reserves since July 14, 2023.

    Furthermore, the total reserves of the country witnessed an increase of $196.3 million, or 1.49 per cent, totaling $13.34 billion during the same week. 

    In contrast, commercial banks experienced a decline in reserves, dropping by $46.8 million, or 0.91 per cent, to $5.07 billion week-on-week.

    It is noteworthy that in the current fiscal year, total liquid foreign reserves have shown a substantial growth of $4.18 billion, reflecting a 45.65 per cent increase. 

    Similarly, the ongoing calendar year has seen a rise of $0.12 billion, marking a 0.91 per cent increase in the nation’s reserves.

  • ‘Pakistan has credible evidence regarding Indian Agents orchestrating extra-territorial assassinations’, Foreign Secretary Syrus Qazi

    ‘Pakistan has credible evidence regarding Indian Agents orchestrating extra-territorial assassinations’, Foreign Secretary Syrus Qazi

    In a press conference held on Thursday, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Syrus Qazi revealed what he termed as “credible evidence” linking Indian agents to the orchestrated killings of two Pakistani citizens on Pakistani soil.

    Qazi characterized the alleged actions as part of a “sophisticated and sinister” Indian campaign involving extra-territorial and extra-judicial assassinations.

    “These are killings-for-hire cases involving a sophisticated international set-up spread over multiple jurisdictions,” Qazi told reporters during a press conference in Islamabad.

    The strained relations between Pakistan and India, exacerbated by historical tensions and border disputes, took a hit with the arrest of spy Kulbushan Yadav in 2016 and the 2019 revocation of the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The move led to a freeze in diplomacy and trade between the two neighboring nations.

    Qazi’s statements come months after both Canada and the United States separately accused Indian agents of involvement in assassination attempts on their soil. While India rejected Ottawa’s allegations, it initiated an investigation into Washington’s claims.

    Providing details of the alleged Indian campaign, Qazi claimed that Indian agents utilized technology and safe havens on foreign soil to carry out assassinations in Pakistan.

    “They recruited, financed, and supported criminals, terrorists, and unsuspecting civilians to play defined roles in these assassinations,” he added.
    The foreign secretary blasted Indian media and social media accounts for their quick claims and glorification of the said killings as “successful retribution against ‘enemies’ of India” and projecting their capacity to carry out these illegal acts.
    “Potential assassins were recruited, using social media, talent spotters, and fake Da’esh accounts,” Qazi said.

    The Foreign Secretary criticized Indian media and social media accounts for glorifying the killings and projecting them as successful retribution against perceived enemies.

    He alleged that potential assassins were recruited through social media, talent spotters, and fake Da’esh accounts.

    Qazi focused on two specific cases during the press conference: the assassinations of Shahid Latif and Muhammad Riaz.

    Assassination of Shahid Latif
    Qazi said that on October 11, 2023, a group of criminals assassinated Latif outside a mosque in the city of Sialkot.
    A detailed investigation revealed that an Indian agent, Yogesh Kumar, based in a third country orchestrated the assassination through criminals and terrorists, he added.
    Going deeper into the details of the killing, the foreign secretary revealed that Kumar recruited Muhammad Umair, a labourer in that third country to act as a contact with local criminals in Pakistan to trace and assassinate Latif.
    The recruited local criminals were able to locate and trace Latif, however, the killers-for-hire were unable to carry out the execution, Qazi added.
    “After some failed attempts, Muhammad Umair was personally sent to Pakistan to carry out the assassination. Muhammad Umair organised a team of five target killers which after the first failed attempt on 9 October 2023, succeeded in assassinating Shahid Latif on 11 October 2023.”
    The foreign secretary further stated that the law enforcement authorities apprehended the target killers, including Umair, based on confessional statements and technical evidence, thwarting their bid to flee Pakistan on October 12, 2023.
    Qazi said that all those involved in reconnaissance and killing have been apprehended and are being tried in a court of law.
    He added that the FO also had evidence of transactions made in the process linking the entire chain to Indian agent Yogesh Kumar.
    Assassination of Muhammad Riaz
    Sharing the details of the second extra-territorial killing, Qazi said that another Indian agent was involved in killing of Pakistani national Muhammad Riaz. As per the foreign secretary, Riaz was assassinated in a mosque in Rawalakot during Fajr prayer on September 8, 2023.
    He said that the law enforcement agencies tracked and apprehended the killer, Muhammad Abdullah Ali, on September 15, 2023, while boarding a flight at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.
    “Interrogation revealed that Muhammad Abdullah Ali was recruited and guided by Indian agents Ashok Kumar Anand and Yogesh Kumar. Indian agents utilised social media app Telegram to recruit Muhammad Abdullah Ali, who was asked to locate Muhammad Riaz,” Qazi revealed.
    He further stated that Ali received payments through the middlemen based in a third country, and he was also provided with weapons and ammunition.
    “After a failed attempt on September 7, 2023, Muhammad Abdullah Ali succeeded in killing Muhammad Riaz on September 8, 2023,” he added.
    Later, the law enforcement authorities apprehended the killer, his supporters and facilitators from various cities of Pakistan, and the case is being tried in a court of law.
    Qazi said that the investigators quickly identified the facilitators inside the country and in the third countries on the basis of confessional statements of Ali and technical evidence.
    “We have documentary, financial and forensic evidence of the involvement of the two Indian agents, who masterminded these assassinations. We are releasing the passport details of Yogesh Kumar and Ashok Kumar,” he added.
    per the foreign secretary, Pakistan had reached out to the governments of the relevant third countries in this regard.

    The Foreign Secretary asserted that Pakistan had evidence linking the entire chain of events to the Indian agents and called for international accountability for India’s “blatant violation of international law.”

    He emphasized that such actions not only violated Pakistan’s sovereignty but also breached the UN Charter.

    Concluding his remarks, Qazi demanded justice for the victims, their facilitators, and financiers involved in the alleged assassinations, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to protecting its people and securing its sovereignty.

    The accused Indian agents’ passport details were also disclosed, and Pakistan reportedly reached out to the relevant third countries regarding the matter.

  • India continues becoming unsafe for Muslims as Ram Mandir consecration emboldens extremists

    India continues becoming unsafe for Muslims as Ram Mandir consecration emboldens extremists

    A number of violent incidents have been reported in at least six states after the consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, India.

    A report published by the Indian outlet The Quint says that from a graveyard in Bihar to a mosque in Telangana, India saw multiple attacks and violent incidents on 22 January. The incidents were of varying scales, ranging from sandals allegedly thrown inside a mosque and a shop being burnt in Telangana to a graveyard set on fire in Bihar, to violent skirmishes in different parts of Maharashtra.

    In the capital of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, a video of a hateful song being played in Narhi, Hazratganj, surfaced on social media. The song was allegedly played by a procession celebrating the consecration of Ram Temple.

    Journalist Rana Ayyub shared the video with a caption stating, “Trigger warning for abusive, misogynistic language. Do listen to this song. To go to a Muslim locality and celebrate Ram Mandir’s inauguration with this song. And you still think this is about faith? Is this how you want to raise your kids? Is this the culture you want to normalise? Why send your kids to Ivy League, why give them quality education, let them be a part of this crass revelry.”

    Famous Indian actor Aisha Ahmed, popular for her roles in web-series ‘Adulting’, shared her experience via an Instagram story of Sarah Sham, the influencer and wife of Indian Tennis player, Mustafa Ghouse who shared her heartbreaking experience of getting a message from a fellow parent about their kid being harassed in school for being Muslim.

    Sarah said it had taken a lot of effort to share her experience of feeling like a second-grade citizen in her country. She went on to explain that the persecution has exacerbated after the establishment of Ram Mandir.

    Indian publication The Wire posted two days ago that activist and journalist Umar Khalid’s bail plea got adjourned yet again. He has been detained since September 2020. Commenting upon this, Professor of Peace Studies at Uppsala University Dr. Ashok Swain said, “If you are a Muslim in India, you have no one, I repeat no one to save you from the wrath of Modi!”

    He even shared a video of a Hindu supremacist mob attacking Muslims and their properties in Mumbai, screaming “Jai Sri Ram”.

    Extremist Hindus in Pune University beat up students of the Film and Television Institute of India for putting up banners that read “Remember Babri, death of constitution.”

    Mob beating or lynching Muslims in India has become a frequent sight in India lately.

    One of the Khans of Bollywood, Aamir Khan, once slammed fellow countrymen for their growing intolerance. He later redeemed himself to the extremists by praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Yusra Hussain, a freelance journalist from Lucknow told Al-Jazeera, “After Ayodhya, there might be a snowballing effect on other disputed places like Mathura and Kashi,”.

    Mathura and Varanasi – Modi’s parliamentary constituency also known locally as Kashi – are also home to historic mosques that the prime minister’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Hindu majoritarian allies say were built on demolished temples.

  • Pakistan issues visas to Indian tennis team

    Pakistan issues visas to Indian tennis team

    The Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi has issued visas to the Indian tennis team, making it certain that players from the neighbouring country will come to Pakistan for the Davis Cup.

    The Indian tennis team, consisting of seven players and five officials, will reach Islamabad from Delhi on January 28.

    Pakistan High Commission has also issued visas to a few Indian journalists for coverage. The two countries will face each other in the Davis Cup tie on February 3 and 4.

  • Hafeez alleges players were focused on foreign leagues during Australia and New Zealand tours

    Hafeez alleges players were focused on foreign leagues during Australia and New Zealand tours

    Former Pakistan Cricket Team Director Muhammad Hafeez has alleged that national players were not fully focused on the game during the tour of Australia and New Zealand, as they were worried about different leagues.

    According to Geo News sources, Muhammad Hafeez, who was the team director of Pakistan on the tour of Australia and New Zealand, met with the Acting Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Shah Khawar, to whom he explained the reasons for the defeat and also discussed the improvement of cricket.

    Sources say that Hafeez has told the head of the board that the national players in Australia and New Zealand were not fully focused on the game, there too they were worried about different leagues.

    According to sources, Hafeez also met PCB COO Salman Naseer separately. It should be noted that Hafeez’s contract as team director has expired.

    Hafeez also expressed his desire to renew the agreement, on which he was told that the decision is possible only after the consultation of inter-provincial coordination of ministries.

    It should be remembered that Pakistan faced a whitewash in the Test series during Australia’s tour, while the national team lost 1-4 in the T20 series against New Zealand

  • Agony or ecstasy; Bilal Saeed throws mic at audience

    Agony or ecstasy; Bilal Saeed throws mic at audience

    Singer and songwriter Bilal Saeed has stirred up a hornet’s nest on the internet. He was performing live at a college when something went very very wrong.

    Bilal suddenly stopped singing, got angry, and then threw his microphone into the crowd. He left the stage right after.

    The unexpected moment was recorded on video and shared widely on social media. People had different reactions to it, and funny memes about the incident started spreading online.

    Here are some reactions from Twitter:

    https://twitter.com/Basim21000/status/1750478684258218275

    They were apparently teasing and taunting him while he was performing, which might have led to his unexpected reaction on stage.

  • Here’s how Imran Ashraf won audiences over during a show

    Here’s how Imran Ashraf won audiences over during a show

    A video of actor and host Imran Ashraf attending a show is getting a lot of attention on social media and for all the right reasons.

    In the video, Ashraf invites a young child from the audience to come on stage. Before touching the little girl, he asked for permission from the child’s parents.

    He said, “Can I touch her? Is it allowed?” The girl’s mother gave him permission, and then he had a conversation with the girl.

    The child, Mantsha, recited a poem for Imran Ashraf, and the audience applauded. Many people on social media praised Imran for asking permission before touching the girl.

    Actress Nadia Hussain said it was the best act she had seen from any Pakistani celebrity and sent prayers.

    Actor Muneeb Butt shared a heart emoji, and others also appreciated Imran’s respectful gesture.

  • Last functional hospital in Gaza under attack as medical personnel toll hits 192

    Last functional hospital in Gaza under attack as medical personnel toll hits 192

    The United Nations has said that heavy fighting has “encircled” two hospitals in Khan Younis – Nasser and Al-Amal – leaving thousands of “terrified staff, patients and displaced people trapped inside”.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that seven out of 24 hospitals are “partially functioning” in northern Gaza and suffering a shortage of personnel and supplies.

    Journalist Bisan shared a recent post detailing an attack on the Khan Yones camp by the Israeli occupation forces. Consequently, the last functioning hospital in Gaza- Al Nasser Medical Hospital- was under attack as well. Videos of gunfire surfaced on various social media platforms as well.

    The health scenario in Gaza is nearing collapse. Al Jazeera shared a report titled, ‘Against every instinct: How doctors in Gaza persevere amid Israel attacks’, in which it was revealed that almost 192 doctors were killed in Gaza between October 7 and November 8, 2023.

    According to the WHO, only 15 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functional – nine in the south and six in the north. The hospitals in the south are operating at three times their capacity while facing critical shortages of basic supplies and fuel.

    The facilities are “without enough specialized medical staff to manage the volume and range of injuries, nor sufficient medicines and medical supplies, fuel, clean water, or food for patients or staff”, the WHO said in a statement.

    The Ministry of Health in Gaza says occupancy rates are reaching 206 percent in inpatient departments and 250 percent in intensive care units.

    From October 7 to November 24, there were 74 Israeli assaults on health facilities with 30 hospitals attacked in Gaza, according to Insecurity Insight, a humanitarian association that collates data on threats facing people in dangerous environments. It delivered 19,000 litres (5,000 gallons) of fuel to al-Shifa Hospital on Tuesday after facing delays at a checkpoint and on damaged roads.

    There have been 212 attacks on medical personnel.

    Attack on Hospitals

    The hospitals that have been attacked most often include:

    1. al-Shifa Hospital – attacked 12 times
    2. al-Quds Hospital – attacked nine times
    3. Indonesian Hospital – attacked nine times
    4. Nasser Hospital – attacked three times

    Insecurity Insight documented at least 26 other hospitals from across the Gaza Strip that were attacked by Israeli forces over the same period.

    How Gaza’s healthcare system has been destroyed?

    Mohamed S Ziara, a Palestinian doctor, talked to Al Jazeera and explained in a tone that is soft and unaffected by the rumbling explosions and pop of gunfire that can be heard in the background.

    He is a plastic surgeon working 12- to 14-hour shifts, six days a week at the European Gaza Hospital (EGH) in Khan Younis, where he treats up to 15 cases a day. Ziara describes the healthcare situation as “catastrophic”.

    “It doesn’t match anything I’ve seen before, even with previous escalations and war,” says Ziara, who has worked during Israel’s assaults on Gaza since 2014.

    He has been posting about Israeli attacks near the EGH and the conditions inside on his Instagram account.

    “No doctor wakes up in the morning and says: ‘I’m going to amputate a child’s leg without anesthesia.’”

    “You don’t want to watch children suffer,” Dr Amber Alayyan with Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, told Al Jazeera.

    Chronically ill patients

    In addition to immediate injuries from Israeli air strikes and artillery, patients with prior and long-term illnesses and vulnerable health conditions are faced with not being treated. According to WHO, they include:

    • 1,100 patients in need of kidney dialysis
    • 71,000 patients living with diabetes
    • 225,000 patients with high blood pressure requiring medication
    • 485,000 people with mental health disorders
    • cancer patients, 2,000 of whom are diagnosed each year, including 122 children
    • 45,000 patients with cardiovascular disease.

    A grim prospect for the future

    On January 7, exactly three months into the war on Gaza, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “It is inconceivable that this most essential need – the protection of healthcare – is not assured.”

  • Tunes and Treasure: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s pocket-filling concert adventure

    Tunes and Treasure: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s pocket-filling concert adventure

    Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is one of the most successful singers in the industry. But how much has he made from singing? The amount will surprise you.
    Rahat has made more than Rs 7.5 billion during the last 12 years through concerts. According to Geo News correspondent Murtaza Ali Shah, the singer and his global concert promoter Salman Ahmed have parted ways after disagreements.

    However, now Salman Ahmed claims that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has organized shows all over the world since the past 12 years, during which 22 million US dollars from foreign tours and a local business of Rs 1.2 billion were conducted with him.
    He says that he has worked to improve Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s image, including matters related to weddings, family, and business transactions. In the future, these matters will be overseen by his wife and other family members.
    He says, “I have a record of every single penny, and I am ready to submit all accounts to Pakistani tax and audit authorities.”

  • Gold rate in local market declines by Rs1,400 to Rs213,800 per tola

    Gold rate in local market declines by Rs1,400 to Rs213,800 per tola

    In a noteworthy development, gold prices in Pakistan experienced a decline on Thursday, with the tola rate of 24 karat gold decreasing by Rs1,400.

    The current per-tola gold price in Pakistan now stands at Rs213,800 in local bullion market.

    According to market insiders, the price for 10 grammes of 24 karat gold witnessed a reduction of Rs1,200, reaching Rs183,300 in the domestic market, as reported by the All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association.

    Simultaneously, the prices of both per tola and 10-gramme silver saw a reduction, falling by Rs1200 to Rs183,300.

    Meanwhile, in the international market, the price of gold exhibited a rise of $12, reaching $2035. Gold prices, on the whole, experienced a 0.2 per cent increase to $2,018 per ounce, hitting a session low of $2,013.

    This came after a 0.75 per cent decrease on Wednesday, marking a one-week trough at $2,011, spurred by robust US economic data. The market dynamics are being closely observed for further insights into these fluctuations.