Author: newsdesk

  • Protesting railway workers bring trains to halt

    Protesting railway workers bring trains to halt

    Railway employees are protesting against the delays of salaries by limiting the trains on the tracks after rounds of negotiations failed because the state institute has not been able to pay the staff.

    The situation got worse on Friday when several intercity trains from Lahore to Karachi – including the Karakoram Express, Pak Business Express, and Karachi Express – could not depart on their scheduled routes as the employees staged protests on the tracks.

    Amidst all this is the protest of passengers for being stranded for hours at the platform and being punished for the crime of relying on the national railway.

    Some of the protesting employees are claiming to have not been paid for the months of August and September while the others have experienced significant delays. They halted the washing line before proceeding to block the track. They also stopped by the Business Express train from Karachi to Lahore and forced the passengers to disembark. They were reportedly chanting slogans against the management and expressed their anger over the difficulties they are experiencing due to this crisis. Some even complained about the electricity and gas supply being cut off due to this crisis.

    Owing to Pakistan’s plummeting economy and the growing financial crisis of different institutions the employees are frustrated. The outgoing Chief Executive Officer Shahid Aziz highlighted the adversity of the circumstances by stating that a bailout package of Rs 35 billion is awaited to save the struggling institution.

  • More than 1000 Pakistani doctors volunteer to help in Gaza

    More than 1000 Pakistani doctors volunteer to help in Gaza

    Alkhidmat Health Foundation has announced that over 1000 doctors from Pakistan, including 400 females, have volunteered their services to provide treatment to the critically wounded and injured in Gaza. Currently, the death toll has hit 7000 dead civilians and right now there is fear of further genocide as Israel has cut off all communication services, leaving media organisations and human rights organisations completely in the dark. The few videos that have released so far show intense bombing and vicious attacks on refugee camps.

    Speaking to ‘The News’, the chairman of Al-Khidmat Health Foundation Dr Zahid Latif, said: “Since Saturday when we launched an online appeal for healthcare volunteers to serve in the Gaza strip, over 1,000 medical specialists including orthopedic, vascular and general surgeons, anesthetists, pediatric surgeons, emergency and critical care specialists and gynaecologists have registered with us to help their injured and sick brethren in Gaza.”

    Gaza is undergoing a healthcare crisis, tethering on the brink of collapse as they overpile with civilians and children wounded and critically injured from the ongoing Israeli airstrikes. Al-Shifa hospital currently holds 62,000 displaced Gazans, and more than 600 babies are in incubators out of which 120 are on critical life-or-death situations, according to Dr. Amr.

    Dr Zahid said among the 40 per cent health care specialists who have volunteered to go to Gaza, there were female specialists including genealogists, pediatricians, surgeons, including nurses who expressed their desire to go and help the wounded in Gaza.

    He further added the organisation has approached the World Health Organisation (WHO) office in Islamabad, as well as the office of Cairo, Egypt to let them know about how Pakistani health professionals are willing to provide services in Gaza, despite how difficult it is to enter the region at this moment.

    “We very well know that at the moment, it is almost impossible to go to Gaza due to ongoing war but we are under tremendous pressure from Pakistani healthcare fraternity to make arrangements for them to go to Gaza. At the moment, the WHO and our partner organisations have not given us any green signal to send the healthcare professionals to any neighbouring country of Israel for serving in Gaza,” Dr Latif said.

    Currently, Al-Khidmat organisation is sending medicines, medical supplies, hygiene facilities and safe delivery kits to aid hospitals in Gaza through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), while their Turkish-based partner is providing food and other facilities to the reigion.

    “There are around 50,000 pregnant ladies in Gaza, who need medical assistance for safe deliveries and at a time when most of the health facilities have been destroyed by the Israeli forces, safe deliveries can only be carried out at homes where they would need safe delivery kits and proper awareness,” Dr Latif said.

  • ‘We made a mistake, forgive us’: Khurshid Shah apologises for PPP being part of PDM govt

    ‘We made a mistake, forgive us’: Khurshid Shah apologises for PPP being part of PDM govt

    Senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Khurshid Shah has publicly admitted that his party’s decision to join the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) coalition government was a mistake.

    In an interview on Dawn News, Shah sought forgiveness for the move, emphasizing the need for a specific election date.

    “We were there 16 months [in the government]. We made a mistake, forgive us. We committed a mistake,” Shah stated, acknowledging the party’s misstep.

    The PPP leader stated that the past should be left behind and emphasized the need for a specific election date.

    When asked again if the PPP had erred by participating in the previous coalition
    government, Shah reiterated, “I say forgive us, we made a mistake. There, are you content? Now, provide the [election] date.”

    He mentioned that the PPP’s support wasn’t directed at any specific government but rather aimed at upholding democracy and the parliament.

    “We upheld and safeguarded the slogan of ‘vote ko izzat do’ (respect the vote), not the PML-N. Despite that, we say, forgive us, as we were part of the government for 16 months, so please forgive us.

    “It was a mistake, so now announce the elections. What else are we requesting?”

    In response to a query regarding the PPP’s initial congratulatory message to caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and subsequent accusations of favoritism towards the PML-N, Shah clarified, “The PML-N is part of that [caretaker government], we are not. We could also have joined and secured four ministries, but we realized that by doing so, we might hinder the prospect of timely elections.”

    He further emphasized that the PPP’s primary goal was to ensure elections proceed in accordance with the law and the Constitution.

  • ‘Unfair to blame Babar and Inzamam’: Mickey Arthur

    ‘Unfair to blame Babar and Inzamam’: Mickey Arthur

    Pakistan Cricket Team Director Mickey Arthur has said, “We did not play well in this tournament, but it will not be right to blame Babar Azam, Inzamam, or anyone, I know the players and staff tried their best.”

    Mickey Arthur said that he is proud of the best bowling of the tournament, proud of the way the bowlers fought back hard. “Everyone is trying but our batting is not coming into form.”

    He said “We improved our bowling today, but could not score runs in the batting, and could not play the last five overs properly, if we had made 300, could have defended it.”

    Mickey Arthur said that the team did not play the quality of cricket that is required in the World Cup. “Against Afghanistan, we were average in all three areas.”

    He said that he will try to finish the tournament in a good way by winning the remaining three matches.

  • Gen Bajwa’s relative cleared in FIA investigation

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has cleared Sabir Hameed, also known as Mithu, a close relative of former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, in a case pertaining to suspicious transactions, The News has confirmed on Saturday.

    The FIA closed an inquiry against the well-known businessman as no evidence in support of allegations leveled against him was found.
    Hameed, who works for a large real estate company, gave the FIA investigators access to all of the records he had, including tax returns through the fiscal year 2022, bank statements, information on both domestic and foreign real estate, automobiles, offshore businesses, and so forth.

    The people close to him said that the FIA initially called the close relative of the former army leader on October 23. Hameed is a hardworking Pakistani who does transparent business but his rivals levelled baseless allegation against him to vilify him, FIA said after conducting an in-depth inquiry.

    In addition, Hameed was required to bring a list of all the countries he has visited as well as an explanation of why. A list of all offshore/shell firms and business vehicles owned by the ex-army chief relative, his spouse, and family members was also instructed to be brought.

  • Palestinian Health Ministry provides credible casualty figures: UN

    Palestinian Health Ministry provides credible casualty figures: UN

    While US President Joe Biden has questioned the reliability of the death toll coming from Gaza, the United Nations has verified that the figures provided by the Palestinian Ministry of Health have a history of being credible.

    “In the past, the five, six cycles of conflict in the Gaza Strip, these figures were considered as credible and no one ever really challenged these figures,” the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) chief, Philippe Lazzarini, said while speaking to the media on Friday.

    On Thursday, the Health Ministry released a 212-page document with names and identity numbers of those killed in Israeli air raid since October 7, having collected the data from morgues and hospitals.

    The list consists of 6,747 people killed in the Israeli attacks, including 2,665 children whereas 529 bodies are yet to be identified.

    Anadolu Agency has said that 8,400 people have been killed including at least 7,028 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.

  • DRS decision during Pak-Africa match slammed on social media

    DRS decision during Pak-Africa match slammed on social media

    Celebrities, cricketers and fans lashed out on social media on Friday night at the poor DRS decision and the umpire’s call during the match between Pakistan and South Africa.

    Pakistan needed one wicket to win the most crucial game and to stay alive in the World Cup, when Haris Rauf appealed for a LBW (Leg Before Wicket) that was clearly hitting the line of the wicket but the umpire gave it not out. This poor decision made by umpire almost ended all of the hopes of Pakistan to qualify for semi-finals.

    Most famous cricket celebrities like Harbhajan Singh, Graeme Smith, also Ayushmann Khurrana and other social media users are lashing out this decision.

    Here are some reactions:

  • Annual inflation increases by 29.65% in Pakistan, driven by rising gas prices 

    Annual inflation increases by 29.65% in Pakistan, driven by rising gas prices 

    According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) report released on Friday, the weekly inflation, as measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), exhibited a decline of 0.33 per cent during the week ending on October 19. 

    The Combined Index, as reported by PBS, stood at 277.11, down from 278.04 on October 19, 2023, with a notable contrast to the index of 213.74 recorded on October 27, 2022, a year ago.

    Among the 51 items monitored, the analysis indicates that the average prices of 14 items experienced an increase, 17 items saw a decrease, and 20 items remained stable. 

    Significant reductions were observed in the prices of chicken (10.19 per cent), onions (4.4 per cent), rice IRRI-6/9 (3.84 per cent), bananas (3.64 per cent), gur (3.4 per cent), pulse masoor (2.36 per cent), sugar (2.22 per cent), and mustard oil (2.17 per cent). 

    Conversely, notable price increases were recorded for tomatoes (20.81 per cent), potatoes (3.33 per cent), eggs (1.63 per cent), salt powdered (0.91 per cent), garlic (0.77 per cent), tea prepared (0.67 per cent), bread plain (0.56 per cent), and mutton (0.28 per cent).

    In a year-on-year comparison, the trend reveals an increase of 29.65 per cent in overall inflation, with substantial hikes in gas charges for Q1 (108.38 per cent), cigarettes (94.46 per cent), chilies powder (84.11 per cent), rice basmati broken (78.51 per cent), wheat flour (77.49 per cent), sugar (63.22 per cent), rice irri-6/9 (62.83 per cent), gents sponge chappal (58.05 per cent), gur (57.73 per cent), and salt powdered (54.84 per cent). 

    In contrast, price decreases are observed in tomatoes (31.90 per cent), onions (24.88 per cent), pulse gramme (5.82 per cent), mustard oil (4.16 per cent), and vegetable ghee (1 1 kg) (0.92 per cent).

  • Two lac children sexually abused by Spanish clergy, report reveals

    Two lac children sexually abused by Spanish clergy, report reveals

    In a staggering revelation, a 700-page long report released by the Spanish national ombudsman Angel Gabilondo, it has been estimated that over 200,000 minors have been abused by the Roman Catholic clergy since 1940 in the country.

    The poll conducted by the independent commission of over 8,000 people found that 0.6 percent of Spain’s adult population of around 39 million people said that they suffered sexual abuse by members of the clergy when they were still minors.

    “Unfortunately, for many years there has been a certain desire to deny abuses or a desire to conceal or protect the abusers,” said Gabilondo while addressing the press.

    Over the last two decades, the allegations against the Spanish Catholic Church have mounted to a great level often involving children. The report is also critical of the clergy as the response by them was “insufficient” thus, it recommends the state to pay reparations to victims.

    Spain’s parliament in March 2022 overwhelmingly approved the creation of an independent commission led by the ombudsman to “shed light” on allegations of sexual abuse of “defenceless boys and girls” in the Catholic church.

    The church, initially reluctant, said in June that it has discovered 927 cases of child abuse through a complaints procedure launched in 2020, and in response to that it has set up a “child protection” office.

    El Pais, a leading Spanish Newspaper, states in their investigation of 2018 dark facts dating back to 1927 about thousands of victims and alleged abusers. The recent report is dubbed as the “tip of the iceberg” by them.

    The church’s abuse crisis is rampant all across Europe-first surfaced in 2002-and these investigations stir governments to take serious steps to stop the malice. Spain has been leading the effort as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the release of the report was a “milestone” in the country’s democratic history. Child Protection Activist, Juan Cuatrecasas, commented, “This must be the start of something, not an end in itself.”

  • World Cup 2023: South Africa defeated Pakistan by one wicket in thriller

    World Cup 2023: South Africa defeated Pakistan by one wicket in thriller

    In the 26th and most important match of the ICC World Cup, South Africa defeated Pakistan by one wicket after a sensational game. South Africa achieved Pakistan’s target of 271 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 47.2 overs, with Aiden Markram scoring 91 runs.

    Abdullah Shafiq and Imamul Haq opened the innings for Pakistan but once again the Pakistani opening pair could not give the team a good start. Abdullah Shafiq returned to the pavilion after scoring only nine runs off a Marco Jansen delivery. Imamul Haq also scored 12 runs off 18 balls and became a victim of Jansen’s ball.

    Pakistan’s third wicket was Muhammad Rizwan who scored 31 runs, caught behind the wickets off Coetzee while Iftikhar Ahmed was caught on the boundary trying to hit Tabriz Shamsi for a six, after scoring 21 runs. Captain Babar Azam scored a half-century but he too was caught behind the wickets after scoring 50 runs off a blistering ball from Tabriz Shamsi.

    After five wickets fell on 141, Shadab Khan and young batsman Saud Shakeel batted responsibly and formed a brilliant partnership, taking the score to 225 runs. Shadab was dismissed for 43 runs off 36 balls. Meanwhile, Saud Shakeel scored a magnificent half-century, but he too returned to the pavilion after scoring 52 runs off 52 balls with the help of 7 fours.

    The entire Pakistan team was bowled out for 270 runs in 46.4 overs.

    On behalf of South Africa, Tabrez Shamsi took four wickets while Marko Jansen got three wickets and Coetzee got two wickets.

    Chasing Pakistan’s target of 271 runs, South Africa got off to a good start, with the two openers putting on a 34-run partnership before Quinton de Kock was dismissed for 24 runs.

    South Africa suffered its second loss in the form of captain Tamba Bavuma, who returned to the pavilion after scoring 28 runs, while van der Daussen scored 21 runs and Henrik Klaasen was caught out for 12 runs. In such a situation, a partnership of 70 runs was established between Miller and Aiden Markram, but then Miller was dismissed for 29 runs while Adam Markram scored a brilliant 91 runs.

    When the total score of South Africa reached 250 runs, Pakistan made a brilliant comeback, got two wickets, and came back into the match. However, South Africa’s tail-and-beater Maharaj and Shamsi played responsible batting and established an important partnership of 11 runs to give their team victory after a thrilling match.

    On behalf of Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi took three wickets, and Haris Rauf, Wasim Junior, and Osama Amir took two wickets respectively.

    This the first time in the history of the World Cup, Pakistan lost in 4 consecutive matches