Author: newsdesk

  • ‘It’s my great honour to be called Daughter of Buner’: Dr. Sawera Prakash on Indian TV

    ‘It’s my great honour to be called Daughter of Buner’: Dr. Sawera Prakash on Indian TV

    Dr. Sawera Prakash, the first Hindu woman to contest general elections from Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, recently appeared on a talk show on an Indian TV channel and amazed the host with her honesty and confidence.

    She was asked by host Sudhir Chaudhary of Aaj Tak TV about whether Muslim voters in Pakistan will ever vote for a Hindu woman to which Miss Prakash replied that she fully believes that. “The positive response I have been receiving has exceeded my expectations.” She asserted that she has never felt discriminated against, neither as a minority nor as a woman, during her campaign. Upon this the interviewer told her that it feels like she has embraced Pakistan like no other, even though she is a Hindu. Sawera promptly reminded him she was born in Pakistan and being a citizen, she is a patriot. She especially mentioned that she has been given the title of “Daughter of Buner” and this makes her responsible towards not just her district but her country as well.

    Sudhir Chaudhary however kept on trying to rattle the calm Dr. Prakash, asking her about the situation of minorities in Pakistan. He quoted disgraced former cricketer Danesh Kanaria who has said that he could not flourish because of his minority status. Miss Prakash vehemently denied that by saying that she is getting support from people of her district, an area which is traditionally conservative yet they own her. Punjab and Sindh must be more open towards minorities, she implied.

    Towards the end, the interviewer asked her about Ram Mandir which is about to be opened in Ayodhya, India, built on the site of Babri Masjid, and whether she would come to visit. Dr. Sawera answered that she has never thought about it.

  • Faisal Qureshi wants Indian films screened in Pakistan

    Faisal Qureshi wants Indian films screened in Pakistan

    Actor Faysal Quraishi wants to restore the splendor of Pakistani cinema but has an unusual plan to do so.

    In an interview the veteran performer gave to Independent Urdu, he talked about the film industry in Pakistan and how it can be revived.
    “I am a very patriotic person,” he said. However, he emphasized that to make Pakistani cinema thrive, it’s crucial to screen Bollywood films in theaters. “I know that our people want to watch Bollywood movies in Pakistan, so we cannot impose our will on them.”

    The actor mused about building good relationships with India, stating that, “We got a great opportunity to work in India. However, due to political tensions and conflicts, those paths closed, and we often shut down routes that bring money to our country.”

  • Indian women athletes return medals to govt in protest against sexual harassment

    Indian women athletes return medals to govt in protest against sexual harassment

    A number of female athletes, including female wrestlers, have returned their medals to the Indian government in protest against sexual harassment.

    India’s famous female wrestler Vinesh Phogat left two valuable awards on the roadside after not being allowed to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Phogat and several other female wrestlers have accused former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually harassing female wrestlers for years. Vinesh Phogat won medals in the World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games.

    Photo: Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan

    A large number of athletes, including female wrestlers, also protested, but they were lathi-charged by the police and several people were arrested.

  • Heavy penalties on traffic violations to be imposed from today

    Heavy penalties on traffic violations to be imposed from today

    Drivers violating traffic rules on motorways and national highways will pay a heavy price for transgressions from today (January 1).

    National Highways and Motorway Police have revised fines, applicable from January 1.

    As per the details released by NHMP, the fines range from Rs. 750 to Rs. 3000 for covering the backscreen partially or completely and not following the stop-line protocols respectively.

    The details of the rest of the fines are in the tweet below:

  • Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s convoy attacked in DI Khan

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s convoy attacked in DI Khan

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s convoy came under attack in Dera Ismail Khan on Sunday.

    The politician’s convoy was fired from multiple directions at the Yarik Interchange, the party’s spokesperson, Mufti Abrar, told Geo News on Sunday, adding that the attack took place while the vehicles were passing through the DI Khan area.

    He also confirmed that Maulana Fazlur Rehman is safe.

    Fazlur Rehman’s brother, however, denied the attack on the party chief, claiming that Maulana was at home when the incident happened.

    “Maulana’s car stopped for refueling near the Yarik interchange [when the incident happened],” he added.

    Maulana has expressed concerns many times about security issues in the DI Khan area. He also said on December 5 that “There is no police in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, and Lakki Marwat. Can the polls be staged in this situation of unrest?”

    Earlier this week, Fazl had warned that his party will hold Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja responsible if party workers came under attack during electioneering.

  • Israeli soldiers getting infected with parasitic skin disease

    Israeli soldiers getting infected with parasitic skin disease

    Israeli newspapers have reported that dozens of Israeli soldiers serving near Gaza border are suspected to have been infected by a skin disease known as leishmaniasis.

    Anadolu Agency quotes Israeli newspaper Maariv stating that the infection results in skin lesions caused by the Leishmania parasite which leads to Rose of Jericho disease (leishmaniasis) because they have “ulcerative skin lesions”.

    The parasite is transmitted through a fly’s bite which results in an “inflamed and painful lesion that does not heal”. They are, however, not life-threatening, Anadolu Agency quotes an expert.

    According to an Israeli army spokesman: “Various actions to prevent Leishmania infection among the soldiers are (being) taken in various units.”

    “Explanatory sheets on the subject and mosquito repellent preparations were distributed to soldiers in field units,” the spokesman said.

    “All patients who suffer from suspicious symptoms are examined by a military dermatologist, receive appropriate treatment and are referred to a dedicated leishmania clinic as needed,” he added.

  • David Warner retiring from ODI cricket

    David Warner retiring from ODI cricket

    Australian cricket team opener David Warner has announced his retirement from One Day International (ODI) cricket after bidding farewell to Test cricket.

    Warner, the opening batsman of the Australian team, said in a press conference “I am taking retirement minutes from ODI cricket as well, I will be available to Australia in the T20 format.”

    Warner, star of many of Australia’s stellar victories, will play the last Test of his career against Pakistan in Sydney.

  • Junaid Khan is new bowling coach of Pakistan Under-19 team

    Junaid Khan is new bowling coach of Pakistan Under-19 team

    Former fast bowler Junaid Khan has been appointed as bowling coach of the Pakistan Under-19 cricket team.

    According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Junaid Khan will be the bowling coach of the team in the U-19 World Cup, while current coach Rehan Riaz was not available for the tournament due to family commitments.

    34-year-old Junaid Khan recently coached Islamabad region. Islamabad won the Hanif Muhammad Trophy under Junaid Khan’s coaching.

    Junaid Khan took 189 wickets in 107 international matches.

  • FBR surpasses Rs1 trillion tax collection milestone in December

    FBR surpasses Rs1 trillion tax collection milestone in December

    In a historic achievement, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) announced the unprecedented collection of over Rs1 trillion in December, marking the first instance of such a milestone, as per a press release issued today.

    Furthermore, the FBR has set a new record by collecting Rs4.468 trillion in the initial six months of Fiscal Year 2024, indicating a notable increase of over Rs1 trillion when compared to the Rs3.43 trillion collected during the same period in FY23.

    Remarkably, the FBR has surpassed its targeted collection for the first half of FY24, which was initially set at Rs4.425 trillion. The government’s ambitious projection for the entire fiscal year stands at Rs9.415 trillion.

    Despite challenges such as the issuance of Rs230 billion in refunds, up from Rs177 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year, and sustained import compression, the FBR continues to face obstacles in revenue collection at the import stage.

    Traditionally, the revenue mix at the import stage and domestic taxes had a 50:50 ratio. However, this balance has shifted to 36:64, with the FBR mitigating the impact of import compression by generating more revenue domestically.

    The ratio of direct to indirect taxes has also experienced a shift, with the share of direct taxes increasing to 49 per cent in the first six months.

    Notably, in December alone, direct taxes accounted for 59 per cent, marking a 41 per cent increase in the first six months compared to the previous year.

    Within the category of direct taxes, the FBR has reduced the share of withholding taxes from 70 per cent to 55-58 per cent over the past two years. Remarkably, the share of withholding taxes reached as low as 40 per cent in December 2023.

    It’s worth noting that the FBR had achieved a Rs1 trillion annual collection back in 2007-08, a milestone that took 50 years to accomplish.

    In contrast, the FBR has achieved a comparable feat within a single month after 15 years, underscoring the relentless efforts, unwavering dedication, and hard work demonstrated by the field formations and top leadership of the FBR.