Author: newsdesk

  • Chartered plane booked for Nawaz Sharif’s return on October 21

    Chartered plane booked for Nawaz Sharif’s return on October 21

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will travel on a chartered plane to reach Pakistan from Dubai on October 21.

    According to a report filed by Geo News, the flight carrying Nawaz will be named ‘Umeed-e-Pakistan’. It can carry approximately 150 passengers.

    The former prime minister will leave Dubai for Pakistan on October 21, along with senior and close party members. Nawaz Sharif’s flight will land in Islamabad for a 30 minute long stay, with the PML-N supremo then flying to Lahore to address a gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan.

    Before the final leg of the journey, Nawaz Sharif will reach Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and perform Umrah there. He will stay in Saudi Arabia for a week and hold important meetings.

    Earlier, former finance minister Ishaq Dar said there is no chance of Nawaz’s arrest upon his arrival in the country.

    Dar also said that PML-N’s narrative will be about the economy, adding that, “recovery of the economy is the best revenge.”

  • Author Arundhati Roy to be prosecuted in India for 2010 speech

    Prolific writer Arundhati Roy, the only non-expatriate Booker prize winning author of The God of Small Things, is one of the most high-profile critics of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a voice for the voiceless in her country.

    Amidst the dire situation of press freedom in India, the author may face prosecution for a speech she delivered in 2010 about Kashmir, as per media reports. A top-official in New Delhi, VK Saxena, has given approval for the case to proceed before the courts. According to Saxena’s directive, Roy and her co-defendants were allegedly advocating for the secession of Kashmir from India at a public function and that is enough evidence for a legal case.

    Under the Modi Government, sedition laws are often used to curb the freedom of expression and journalism, raising a question over the so-called biggest democracy’s principles. Added to that are PSA laws exclusive to Jammu and Kashmir which allow detention of individuals “preventively” for up to two years, without a trial or warrant. In IOK, a number of journalists have been held in detention.

    The revocation of Article 370 ensuring the special status of Kashmir on August 6, 2019, has caused voices like Roy to become more loud. “In Kashmir when we wake up and say, ‘Good Morning’ what we really mean is ‘Good Mourning,’” exclaimed one of the characters from her novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. Her house was besieged when the speech became public and the complaint that lodged against her has now proceeded after 13 years.

    Roy, now 61, has always been fearless in her expression and is known for her work as a journalist, activist and a novelist. Her work is a scribbled protest whereas her speeches and the articles she reads in conferences is vocal dissent in the face of oppressors. In one of her famous speeches, she voices out the basic facts of Kashmir’s reality that “it is not an integral part of India and even the Indian Government has accepted this years back in the UN.” Her latest book Azadi Freedom, Fascism, Fiction is an honest account of the situation of minorities, Dalits and activists in India.

  • World Cup 2023; India finally starts visa issuance for Pakistani journalists

    World Cup 2023; India finally starts visa issuance for Pakistani journalists

    The Indian embassy in Islamabad has started the process for issuing visas to Pakistani journalists to cover the ICC cricket World Cup 2023.

    Pakistani journalists have been waiting for Indian visas since before the tournament begun.

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shown disappointment in the delay by the Indian embassy. Now the embassy has started contacting journalists who are willing to cover the World Cup, asking them to submit their passports as soon as possible.

    Earlier, PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf contacted Pakistan foreign secretory Syrus Qazi to voice alarm over the delay of visas to Pakistani fans and journalists for the World Cup.

    Read More: World Cup 2023: Pakistani cricket presenter Zainab Abbas sent back from India due to safety concerns

    According to ICC, the host country has to host visas for fans and journalists to cover the event but India was still being stubborn.

    The PCB has reminded ICC and BCCI (Board of Control of cricket in India) of the terms and conditions for the host country to issue visas for fans and journalists.

  • Stockholm to ban petrol, diesel cars in city centre from 2025

    Stockholm to ban petrol, diesel cars in city centre from 2025

    The capital of Sweden, Stockholm, will ban the presence of petrol and diesel cars by 2025 in a central 20-block area of the city in order to achieve better air quality.

    The city’s vice-mayor for transport and urban environment, Lars Stromgren, said in a statement, “Nowadays the air in Stockholm causes babies to have sick lungs and the elderly to die prematurely. It is a completely unacceptable situation,”
    He added that there is a need to “limit the harmful exhaust gases from petrol and diesel cars,”

    The 20-block area of the city is a bustling part of Stockholm with a shopping district, office buildings, and eateries. And according to Stromgren, this area “has a lot of pedestrians and cyclists, where the air quality needs to be better,”

    “This is also a part of the city where we see that there is a lot of interest in a faster electrification, with actors that can spearhead the transition,” he added.

    The ban will come into effect on December 31, 2024. However, police cars, ambulances and other security services will be exempted.

  • Peshawar students to campaign against use of drugs in educational institutions

    Peshawar students to campaign against use of drugs in educational institutions

    The students of the University of Agriculture in Peshawar have decided on starting a mission to prevent use of drugs in educational institutions.

    According to reports, the administration has become active to protect the students of the University of Agriculture from drugs. The Anti-Drug Awareness Committee held a meeting at the campus.

    According to experts present at the meeting, drugs give temporary relief by increasing hormones, but later they cause permanent destruction; adding that the addict becomes a burden on his family and society.

    The students have decided to join hands with the government and social organisations to play an active role in the anti-drug campaign.

    According to the report of a non-governmental organisation, 7.6 million people use drugs in Pakistan, including 78% men and 22% women.

  • SBP reports $112 million increase in workers’ remittances

    SBP reports $112 million increase in workers’ remittances

    In September 2023, Pakistan experienced a notable surge in workers’ remittances, marking a 5.3 per cent increase compared to August 2023.

    This uptick can be primarily attributed to a crackdown on the informal money transfer systems known as hawala and hundi.

    According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the country received remittances amounting to $2.206 billion in September 2023, up from $2.094 billion in August 2023, equating to a $112 million rise.

    The majority of remittance inflows for September 2023 were derived from several key sources, with Saudi Arabia contributing $538.2 million, the United Arab Emirates $400 million, the United Kingdom $311.1 million, and the United States of America $263.4 million.

    This increase in remittances can be linked to the fact that a substantial number of Pakistani expatriates resorted to using the Hawala/Hundi channels during the initial two months of the fiscal year, largely due to a significant disparity between official and unofficial exchange rates.

    Subsequently, strict enforcement measures against illegal currency dealers have curbed this volatility, leading to a gradual appreciation of the Pakistani rupee in both the interbank and open currency markets.

    In the last month, the rupee has rebounded by 9 per cent, recovering from its record low of 307.1 against the dollar on September 5. The crackdown on these illicit currency dealers has also contributed to the 5 per cent month-on-month increase in remittances for September.

    However, when examining the entire first quarter of fiscal year FY24, the overall home remittances to Pakistan have experienced a sharp decline of 20 per cent, totalling $1.57 billion. Home remittances for the July-September period of FY24 amounted to $6.33 billion, a decrease from $7.90 billion during the same period in the previous fiscal year, FY23.

    During this initial quarter, remittances from all major sources displayed a downward trajectory. Specifically, home remittances from Saudi Arabia decreased by 22 per cent to $1.516 billion for July–September in FY24, down from $1.946 billion in the equivalent period in FY23.

  • World Bank proposes tax reforms with 3% GDP growth projection for Pakistan

    World Bank proposes tax reforms with 3% GDP growth projection for Pakistan

    The World Bank has advised Pakistan to implement taxes on the agricultural and real estate sectors and merge the income thresholds for salaried and non-salaried individuals to create a progressive Personal Income Tax (PIT) system.

    If agriculture income and property taxes are effectively enforced, they could contribute 3 per cent of the GDP annually, totaling over Rs3 trillion. The World Bank is awaiting approval for a $350 million allocation for Pakistan under RISE-II, with the meeting date yet to be confirmed.

    Currently, the annual income threshold for salaried individuals is Rs600,000, and for non-salaried income, it stands at Rs400,000, both exempt from taxes.

    The World Bank emphasises the urgency of Pakistan’s fiscal situation and the need to generate revenue and reduce expenditures, recommending taxing the wealthy while protecting the poor.

    The World Bank proposes simplifying the income tax structure by aligning it for both salaried and non-salaried individuals, ensuring progressivity without suggesting a reduction in the current nominal threshold.

    They acknowledge the importance of considering inflation and labour market changes in recent data when reforming the income tax structure.

    The focus of the recommended tax reforms should fall on higher income brackets and include a comprehensive tax package and expenditure reforms to address unsustainable fiscal deficits.

    These reforms involve cutting down on subsidy expenditures, eliminating regressive tax exemptions, and increasing the taxation of high-income earners, particularly in agriculture, property, and retail sectors, to enhance the progressivity of the tax system.

    Regarding a question about lowering the current exemption threshold for salaried workers earning below Rs50,000 monthly, the World Bank’s lead economist clarified that the bank does not recommend a reduction in the current nominal threshold.

    Instead, the emphasis is on streamlining the income tax structure for both salaried and non-salaried individuals to ensure progressivity while protecting the poor during the reform process.

  • Gold price drops by Rs15,500 to Rs199,500 per tola

    Gold price drops by Rs15,500 to Rs199,500 per tola

    The All-Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA) resumed its bullion rate updates after an approximate month-long hiatus, revealing a substantial decline in the value of precious metals.

    According to APSGJA’s data, the price of 24-carat gold plummeted by Rs15,500 per tola and Rs13,546 per 10 grammes, reaching new levels of Rs199,500 and Rs171,039, respectively.

    The last bullion rate report was issued on September 12, when the per-tola price of gold stood at Rs215,000.

    However, escalating uncertainties in the economic landscape led to increased speculation. Consequently, the government intervened with a crackdown on speculators, resulting in the temporary suspension of bullion rate updates.

    During this 28-day period of rate suspension, gold traders resorted to arbitrary pricing as no standardised rates were available. Simultaneously, in the international market, the price of gold experienced a notable decline, dropping by $55 to reach $1,891 per ounce.

    Furthermore, APSGJA’s data also revealed a decrease in silver prices, with a Rs50 per tola and Rs42.87 per 10 grammes reduction, bringing silver’s rates to Rs2,500 and Rs2,143.34, respectively.

  • Pakistan creates history; chases down highest total in World Cup

    Pakistan creates history; chases down highest total in World Cup

    Records were left stranded in the dust as Pakistan created history on Tuesday night, chasing down the highest total in World Cup history against Sri Lanka.

    Magnificent centuries by Abdullah Shafiq and Mohammad Rizwan paved the way towards victory as mercurial Pakistan stomped home comfortably.

    Batting first, Sri Lanka scored 344 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in the given 50 overs, with Kaushal Mendes scoring 122 runs and Samara Wickrama scored 108 runs.

    Pakistan achieved the target of 345 runs with just four wickets down in the 49th over, with Abdullah Shafiq scorinh 113 runs and Mohammad Rizwan remaining not out with 131 runs.

    Read More: India receives e-mail threat of bomb blast to blowup PM Modi, Narinder Modi Stadium

    The target of 345 runs is the highest achieved by any team in World Cup history. In the 2011 World Cup, Ireland successfully achieved a target of 329 runs against England.

  • Malala issues statement on the Israel-Palestine war

    Malala issues statement on the Israel-Palestine war

    Nobel Prize winner and education activist Malala Yousafzai has issued a statement on Israel’s war on Palestine.

    In her letter, she called for both sides to hold a ceasefire and prevent innocent lives from being lost, writing that it is cruel how Palestine and Israel children have been caught in the middle.

    The Nobel Prize winner reflected on her own upbringing during a wave of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkha, writing “We woke up to the sounds of mortar shells, saw our schools and mosques destroyed by bombs. Peace became something we could only dream about.”

    “War never spares children,” Malala further wrote. “Not those kidnapped from their homes in Israel, not those hiding from airstrikes or without food and water in Gaza.”