Author: newsdesk

  • Pakistan is making desperate efforts to revive IMF programme before deadline

    Pakistan is making desperate efforts to revive IMF programme before deadline

    Pakistan is facing a critical situation as it seeks to revive its stalled Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The $6.5 billion programme is set to expire on June 30, and negotiations for the ninth review, due last November, have not been successful.

    Efforts to reach a Staff Level Agreement (SLA) with the IMF have been ongoing, but disagreements persist regarding the conditions set by the Fund. The SLA must be signed before Pakistan unveils its 2023-24 budget on June 9, or the current programme will fail.

    According to The News, two options are being considered. The first involves signing the SLA immediately, requesting approval from the IMF Executive Board for the next $1 billion tranche, and extending the EFF programme for a few months to complete the 10th and 11th reviews. The second option is to combine the 9th and 10th reviews, share budgetary figures with the IMF, and sign the SLA after the budget announcement. If approved by parliament, the IMF’s Executive Board could then grant an extension for the completion of the 11th Review by July or August 2023.

    However, finding a solution is proving challenging. Maintaining the status quo will not lead to any breakthroughs, and consensus must be reached between Pakistan and the IMF. Political uncertainty, inadequate economic management, and the inability to secure sufficient external financing have hindered progress.

    Without an IMF programme, Pakistan’s options are limited. The risk of default would increase, and reserves would remain weak. Although there are options available, such as striking the SLA in the next few days or combining reviews, they are becoming increasingly difficult. Life without the IMF would require seeking financing from other sources at higher costs.

    It is crucial for Pakistan to resolve its differences with the IMF and secure the continuation of the EFF programme. Failure to do so would have severe consequences for economic stability and future financing prospects.

  • New appointments in Pakistan men’s team selection committee

    New appointments in Pakistan men’s team selection committee

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee has confirmed three new appointments in the men’s team selection committee ahead of two international mega-events, Asia Cup 2023 and World Cup 2023.

    These selection committee changes will create an impact on the team’s current performance and the current squad as many changes in the squad are expected upon the arrival of director Mickey Arthur.

    The new selection committee comprises Haroon Rashid (chair), Hassan Cheema (selection committee secretary and manager analytics and team strategy for national men’s side), Mickey Arthur (national men’s team’s director), and Grant Bradburn (national men’s team’s head coach).

    Mickey Arthur previously served Pakistan as head coach in Champion’s Trophy 2017, which Pakistan won and in the 2019 World Cup.

    The presence of Cheema, who has worked as strategy manager and data analyst in franchise cricket around the world, Arthur, and Bradburn will aid in strategising for the ipcoming series, enhance the bench strength and provide a proper pathway to performing players in Shaheens and U19 sides to graduate to the national side.

    The first task of the selection committee is to name the players for the fast and spin bowling camps next month in Lahore, which will be announced in due course.

  • Imran Khan suspects he can be arrested on Tuesday

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that he might get arrested again when he appears before a court in Islamabad on Tuesday.

    “On Tuesday, I’m going to appear before court in Islamabad for various bails and there are 80% chances that I will be arrested,” Imran said that while speaking to Fareed Zakaria on CNN.

    “Everything is being done just to dismantle our democracy, so right now, as we speak, over 10,000 workers have been arrested. My entire senior leadership is in jail,” he added.

    Imran Khan further said that the government is taking such actions against him because they fear they would lose upcoming elections.

  • Revolutionising air travel: Pakistan launches first-ever online ‘air taxi service’

    Revolutionising air travel: Pakistan launches first-ever online ‘air taxi service’

    Pakistan has achieved a significant milestone by introducing its groundbreaking online air taxi service, revolutionising air travel for its citizens. This innovative service offers individuals the utmost convenience in booking air travel according to their preferred time and destination.

    With just a few taps on a user-friendly mobile app, individuals can now reserve an air taxi from the comfort of their homes, mirroring the simplicity of booking a regular taxi.

    The official launch of the aerial air taxi service took place in Karachi, marking a momentous occasion. The lease agreement for the highly acclaimed DA 40 Diamond series aircraft was officially signed at the Civil Aviation office adjacent to Karachi Airport.

    Imran Aslam Khan, the Chief Operating Officer of Sky Wings Aviation, expressed his genuine excitement as the aircraft designated for aerial tours successfully arrived in Pakistan after a flawless test flight.

    Notably, this remarkable single-engine plane boasts a comfortable seating capacity of four passengers.

    Imran emphasised that the primary objective of this exceptional air taxi service is to provide emergency transportation from Karachi to remote areas in rural Sindh and Balochistan through captivating aerial tours.

    The German-manufactured aircraft demonstrates remarkable capabilities, with a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour and a flight range of 2,000 kilometers, making it an ideal choice for efficient air travel across the region.

    To further enhance the convenience for passengers, Imran revealed that the mobile app, which is set to launch soon, will empower citizens to effortlessly select their desired time and destination for air travel, putting the control in their hands.

    Significantly, the fare for this novel air taxi service will be significantly lower compared to typical charter services, which often begin at a staggering cost of Rs2.5 million for a trip from Karachi to various cities in Sindh and Balochistan. This affordability factor opens up endless possibilities for a wider range of individuals to experience the convenience and luxury of air travel.

    The initial phase of the air taxi service will commence with eight aircraft of varying capacities, with promising plans for expansion in the near future. Importantly, this remarkable service is not limited to political, religious, or business personalities.

  • Miscreants who attacked army installations will face military court, says PM Shehbaz

    Miscreants who attacked army installations will face military court, says PM Shehbaz

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has announced that miscreants involved in attacks on army installations and civil properties during the violent protests if May 9, will be tried in military courts and anti-terrorism courts (ATCs).

    Chairing a meeting on the law and order situation in Lahore on Sunday, PM Shehbaz said everyone who is involved in incidents of May 9 will be dealt with an iron hand.

    He added that the day will always be remembered as a “black day” in the history of Pakistan. He went on to say that the rioters “turned into enemies of the country” and carried out the attack on the GHQ.

    After Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest, his supporters came out on the streets and allegedly attacked army installations which included Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House) in Lahore Cantt and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

  • Health activists urge govt to impose higher taxes on cigarettes for public welfare

    Health activists urge govt to impose higher taxes on cigarettes for public welfare

    Health activists and civil society organizations are calling on the government to impose higher taxes on cigarettes in the upcoming 2023-24 budget, signaling a potential increase in smoking costs for Pakistani consumers.

    Advocates argue that regular tax hikes on tobacco products, in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), are necessary to combat the detrimental effects of smoking in the country.

    Sanaullah Ghumman, representing Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH), emphasised the importance of consistent taxation on cigarettes, urging the government to align with WHO guidelines. Ghumman’s plea reflects the growing concern over the devastating health consequences associated with tobacco consumption.

    Malik Imran, Country Head of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), highlighted the impact of the government’s recent decision to raise the Federal Excise Duty (FED) on cigarettes in February 2023. This move generated an additional Rs11.3 billion in FED revenue for the fiscal year 2022-23, marking a 9.7 per cent increase from the previous year. Moreover, an extra 4.4 billion in VAT revenue was collected during the same period, representing an 11.5 per cent rise. These figures amount to a substantial boost of 15.7 billion, contributing 0.201 per cent to Pakistan’s struggling economy.

    Imran dismissed the tobacco industry’s claims of illicit trade as a diversion tactic to undermine the benefits of increased taxation. He emphasised that the economic gains resulting from higher prices indicate the viability of this approach, which aids in curbing smoking-related healthcare costs.

  • Your Future iPhone will clone your voice within 15 minutes

    If you have an iPhone or iPad, you will soon be able to hear it speak in your own voice, Apple announced earlier this week.

    The upcoming feature, “Personal Voice,” will give users randomized text prompts to generate 15 minutes of audio.
    There will be another new tool called “Live Speech” which lets users type in a phrase, and save commonly used ones, for the device to speak during phone and FaceTime calls or in-person conversations.

    Apple says it will use machine learning, a type of AI, to create the voice on the device itself rather than externally so the data can be more secure and private.

    It might sound like a quirky feature at first, but it is actually part of the company’s latest drive for accessibility. Apple pointed to conditions like ALS where people are at risk of losing their ability to speak.

    “At Apple, we have always believed that the best technology is technology built for everyone,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.
    The new “Personal Voice” feature, expected as part of iOS 17, will let iPhones and iPads generate digital reproductions of the voice of user for in-person conversations and on phone, FaceTime and audio calls.

    Apple said Personal Voice will create a synthesized voice that sounds like a user and can be used to connect with family and friends. The feature is aimed at users who have conditions that can affect their speaking ability over time.

    Users can create their Personal Voice by recording 15 minutes of audio on their device. Apple said the feature will use local machine-learning technology to maximize privacy.

    It’s part of a larger suite of accessibility improvements for iOS devices, including a new Assistive Access feature that helps users with cognitive disabilities, and their caretakers, more easily take advantage of iOS devices.

    Apple also announced another machine learning-backed technology, augmenting its existing Magnifier feature with a new point-and-speak-backed Detection Mode. The new functionality will combine Camera input, LiDAR input, and machine-learning technology to announce the text on the screen.

    Apple typically launches software at WWDC in beta, meaning that the features are first available to developers and to members of the public who want to opt in. Those features will typically remain in beta throughout the summer and launch to the public in the fall when new iPhones hit the market.

    Apple’s 2023 WWDC conference begins June 5. The company is expected to unveil its first virtual reality headset among other software and hardware announcements.

  • ‘No new military courts’: Khawaja Asif says govt is not snatching anyone’s basic rights

    ‘No new military courts’: Khawaja Asif says govt is not snatching anyone’s basic rights

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said on Sunday that there no new military courts are being established.

    “No new military courts are being established. Law is already present at this time. Courts are present and they have been working for the past 75 years continuously,” said the minister while talking to media in Sialkot.

    He further said that cases would be pursued against individuals whose “footage, faces and identity is showing that they are attacking military installations”, adding that the government was not “snatching anyone’s basic rights”.

    Khawaja termed May 09 protests as “an attack on Pakistan’s integrity and existence”.

    On May 09, supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took to the streets after party Chairman Imran Khan was arrested from Islamabad High Court. In the ensuing riots, many military and government installations sustained damage, most notably, Jinnah House, the residence of Corp Commander Lahore.

  • Man kills elder brother over property dispute in Karachi

    Man kills elder brother over property dispute in Karachi

    A man in Karachi killed his elder brother over a property dispute, ARY has reported.

    The suspect has been identified as Abdur Rauf.

    According to police, Rauf opened fire on his brother, who then lost his life on the spot.

    Police have arrested the suspect from the place of the incident.

    The initial investigation has revealed that the suspect had a dispute with his brother over their father’s property.

  • ‘I stand by it’: Tere Bin writer Nooran Makhdoom defends controversial rape scene

    Trigger warning: victim blaming, discussions of marital rape, assault

    Pakistani drama ‘Tere Bin’ has been in the eye of a social media storm since yesterday a controversial scene from the drama serial went viral on Twitter. In the scene, the female lead Meerab (played by Yumna Zaidi) is raped by her husband Murtasim (played by Wahaj Ali) after she accuses him of attempting to start an affair with Haya.

    Social media users, who had already labelled the drama as problematic for past controversies like slaps, attempted suicide, stalking and poor story pacing, declared that they were dropping their support for the once-popular drama. But it turns out, the writer behind the drama Nooran Makhdoom, is not moved by the backlash, defending it as a ‘a demand of the serial’, in an interview with Arab News Pk.

    “It’s a situation which was the demand of the serial that will lead to the climax,” explained Makhdoom.

    She also went on to defend the story by saying she won’t be changing the script because of fans:

    “If the audience isn’t getting it, I can’t change it,” she said. “It’s just a drama. They should wait for the entire story to unfold instead of taking issue with every episode.”

    Makhdoom also pointed out that such a horrfiying trope is not being used for the first time, and that the entire production team or director had not objected to the scene:

    “It’s not like this has happened onscreen for the first time. It’s just that this project has received such wide recognition that people reacted strongly to the recent twist.”

    Makhdoom also shared with Arab News that she had not initially added the slap and the spit scene, which was added in before filming, but she took complete responsibility for writing the script:

    “If you speak of my social responsibility, I created a story and I stand by it,” she said. “And this is not an unusual occurrence; it has happened before.”

    This revelation has led to more backlash on social media, with hasthags like ‘Shame on Tere Bin makers’ and ‘Nooran’ trending on Twitter, and users calling for a boycott of the drama.