Category: National

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  • Panic among Karachi residents after metal objects fall from sky

    Residents of Karachi’s Sher Shah area went into panic after strange metal objects fell from the sky.

    According to details, eyewitnesses said that heavy objects fell at three different areas in Pak Colony and the site area. A grave at Mayo Shah Cemetery and roofs of three houses were damaged by the metal pieces.

    Authorities have sent the heavy iron objects for an analysis and the situation will be clear after they have been investigated.

    SHO Sher Shah Muhammad Rafique said that the police are inspecting the matter and as per the initial reports the metal objects are of an exploded boiler.

  • Ramzan to begin from April 14, announces MoST

    The Ministry of Science and Technology has announced that the holy month of Ramzan will commence on April 14 in Pakistan.

    “The moon of Ramzan, 1442 AH will be sighted on the evening of April 13, 2021,” said the ministry in a tweet. “The first of Ramzan will be on April 14, 2021. The moon will be clearly sighted in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi.”

    Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry also shared the announcement on social media.

    Chaudhry has been a vocal critic of the old-fashioned and outdated moon-sighting procedure, arguing that Pakistan should opt for science and technology to follow the moon cycle. He often clashed with the Ruet-e-Hilal committee on this.

    In December, last year the government appointed Moulana Abdul Khabir Azad as the new head of the committee replacing Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman.

  • Muggers in Karachi steal phones worth Rs400,000 after man posts ad online

    Muggers in Karachi steal phones worth Rs400,000 after man posts ad online

    Two robbers in Karachi have stolen mobile phones worth Rs400,000 from a man in Karachi’s Bahadurbad area.

    As per reports, a Karachi resident had posted an ad online to sell his mobile phones. However, instead of serious buyers, robbers broke into his house, attacked him and stole his phones.

    The CCTV footage of the incident clearly showed the faces of the suspects and revealed that the incident happened at around 8:45 pm.

    Last year, at least 20,155 suspects were arrested in targeted raids, according to an annual report by the Karachi police. These included 269 men suspected in high-profile terrorism incidents.

    Over 764 street criminals were arrested and there were 241 encounters of the police with criminals. According to he police report, 15 police officials embraced martyrdom and 44 others were injured. Meanwhile, 49 terrorists and other criminals were killed during the encounters. 

    Police arrested 3,405 members of 189 gangs involved in stealing vehicles, 474 suspects were arrested by the police helpline and 19,909 CCTV cameras were set up across the city.

  • ‘FIA was told to file FIRs against Jahangir Tareen, son on WhatsApp,’ senior journalist claims

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has booked estranged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen and his son, Ali Tareen, for fraud and money laundering after it was told to do so by someone over WhatsApp, senior journalist and analyst Arif Hameed Bhatti has claimed.

    According to Bhatti, he possesses details of who sent the WhatsApp message, at what time and when did the other person respond to that message.

    “Even the language used in the draft is not that of the investigation officer,” he said, further saying that the case was registered back on March 22 but the news was leaked over a week later.

    Bhatti’s claims came after Tareens, who are rumoured to be at odds with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan over probe into their alleged involvement in the sugar crisis, were booked by the FIA.

    According to the FIRs dated March 22, two separate cases were registered under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating of public shareholders) and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), read with sections 3/4 of the Anti Money Laundering Act.

    Responding to the development, Tareen lashed out at the FIA and said the accusations against him and his family were “totally fabricated”.

    One of the complaints states that Tareen fraudulently misappropriated shareholder’s money after his company — JDW group — transferred Rs3.14 billion to an associated private company identified as Farooqi Pulp Private Limited (FPML). The FIR stated that the private company is owned by his sons and close relatives.

    “The transfers, especially after FY 2011-2012, were patently fraudulent investments which ultimately translated into personal gains for the family members of the JDW CEO,” the FIR said.

    According to Dawn, it said that during this period, Tareen, his son and other family members purchased cash (US$) from the open market in Lahore in a “structured manner”.

    “Subsequently, in 2016, Ali Khan Tareen remitted approximately US$7.4 Million to the United Kingdom for purchasing properties (to be investigated in detail during the course of investigation) which makes them liable for Anti-Money Laundering investigation,” it said.

    The FIA stated that Tareen, his son, son-in-law Waleed Akbar Faruki and Shahid Akbar Faruki beneficially controlled FPML and personally benefitted from this scheme.

    In the second FIR, the investigation agency said “voluminous withdrawals amounting to at least Rs2.2 billion were fraudulently and dishonestly made through a trusted cash rider.” It noted that Amir Waris, employed as a cashier at JDW’s Corporate Head Office, deposited large amounts into the personal and business accounts of Tareen and his family members.

    “This modus operandi of cash-based misappropriation and money laundering was employed to break the onwards money trail of deposits into personal and business accounts of the accused Tareen and family,” it said.

    It also stated that Rana Nasim Ahmed, JDW CEO, was also given large amounts from the company’s accounts to the tune of Rs600 million. “He claims these humungous amounts as salary, bonuses and ‘gentlemanly-agreed’ benefits.”

  • Mosques to remain open in Ramzan; Pakistan’s daily COVID-19 cases at eight-month high

    Mosques to remain open in Ramzan; Pakistan’s daily COVID-19 cases at eight-month high

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (PM) on Religious Harmony Maulana Tahir Ashrafi has said that mosques across the country will remain open during the holy month of Ramzan amid the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Statement of the premier’s aide coincided with the country reporting highest daily rise in the number of coronavirus infections in eight months as 4,974 cases in 24 hours took the tally to 672,931.

    At least 98 deaths in a day took the total number of fatalities in the country to 14,530.

    “There is decree of religious scholars that people should get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19,” Ashrafi told reporters in Islamabad on Wednesday.

    He further said that scholars from various schools of thought have assured their full support to follow COVID-19 SOPs during prayers timings in Ramazan.

    There are currently 3,303 critical patients of COVID-19 admitted at different hospitals in the country.

    The country has so far conducted 1,02,47,374 coronavirus tests countrywide.

    The positivity ratio reported in the last 24 hours is 9.93%.

    While complete lockdown is time and again being ruled out by authorities, it merits a mention that last year’s months-long closure of all businesses had come while positivity ratio stood below 8%.

  • NA-249 by-poll: Candyland owner candidate of PML-N introduces new candy

    NA-249 by-poll: Candyland owner candidate of PML-N introduces new candy

    With crucial NA-249 by-poll in Karachi on April 29 just around the corner, candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), who is the owner of Ismail Industries — parent company of Candyland and Bisconni — has a surprise for constituents.

    Ismail, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Amjad Afridi and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal among others are the candidates for the lower house seat that fell vacant after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda resigned from the same.

    Amid intense electioneering, Ismail, who believes that former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif is the most popular leader in the constituency, has introduced his favourite product in limited-time packaging for locals and colleagues.

    The pictures of a white wrapper bearing Ismail, his constituency and party’s name went viral on social media on Monday.

    But what candy is it?

    Amid mixed reactions by netizens, sources told this scribe that the candy inside the wrapper was none other than Ismail’s personal favourite.

    Speaking to The Current last week, the PML-N leader had mentioned the very popular and old Fanty as his favourite product produced by his company.

    He had gone on to explain how the product had beaten the lifecycle of any other and retained its position as a widely-loved candy through decades.

    WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW:

  • VIDEO: PM admits flouting COVID-19 SOPs, which led to him getting infected

    VIDEO: PM admits flouting COVID-19 SOPs, which led to him getting infected

    Disclosing how he got infected during the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Pakistan, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has admitted flouting SOPs during the recently-held Senate elections.

    Saying that the third wave of COVID-19 was more severe than any previous ones, the premier, in a televised message, urged people to strictly follow government-issued SOPs as the country could not afford complete lockdown.

    “We should strictly adhere to the SOPs, including wearing masks and avoiding gatherings as we did in the past,” he said and added that the number of COVID-19 patients was rising at a very fast pace.

    Admitting he flouted SOPs during the upper house polls and that was how he and the first lady got infected, the premier said both his wife and him, with the blessings of Allah, were now feeling much better.

  • Govt launches COVID-19 immunization certificate portal

    Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has announced that the federal government has launched an online portal that will issue certificates to recipients of the prescribed two doses of COVID-19 vaccination.

    Umar, who also heads the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), said that “COVID Immunisation certificate issuance portal has been launched across the country today.”

    “Citizen’s whose vaccination process is complete (both doses) can now download COVID Immunisation Certificate from nims.nadra.gov.pk or get it issued by visiting NADRA mega centres.”

    The certificate can be obtained for only Rs 100 and is a documented proof of completed vaccination.

    The government is currently administering Chinese COVID-19 vaccines to healthcare workers and senior citizens aged 60 and above across the country. Registrations for those aged 50 and above have also begun from today (March 30).

  • Ahsan Khan says Kohat rape case ‘is a reflection of our failure as a society’

    Ahsan Khan is demanding justice for three-year-old Hareem Fatima, who was brutally murdered after being sexually assaulted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)’s Kohat district. According to reports, Fatima’s father lodged a complaint with the police stating that Hareem went out to play with other children but unfortunately did not return.

    “Another Twitter trend, another baby girl, another rape, another family destroyed. Another story,” said Ahsan. “Would be remembered for few days and forgotten.”

    “We always talk about upbringing and protection of our daughters, maybe it’s time for us to stress on raising our sons right,” said the actor further, stressing on the importance of educating children.

    “The Kohat incident is a reflection of our failure as a society,” he added.

    Read more – Motorway rape case culprits handed death sentence

    Despite the introduction of an Anti-Rape Ordinance by the government, rape cases continue to rise in the country. The Current is maintaining a daily tally of cases and the numbers are alarming.

    According to a report published by a child protection NGO Sahil, at least 173 children were gang-raped in Pakistan in the first six months of 2020, whereas there were 227 reports of attempted sexual assault. 

  • Pakistan Television’s first female anchor Kanwal Naseer passes way

    Pakistan Television’s first female anchor Kanwal Naseer passes way

    Pakistan Television (PTV)’s first female anchor, newscaster and announcer Kanwal Naseer has passed away at the age of 73. The departed soul was hospitalised for the past couple of days, as reported by Radio Pakistan.

    Born in 1948 in Lahore, Naseer entered media at the young age of 17 and remained associated with PTV and Radio Pakistan for over five decades. Naseer made her first announcement at the PTV on November 26, 1964. 

    Naseer has been awarded the Pride of Performance and many other national awards in recognition of her services. She was the daughter of legendary actor Mohini Hameed.

    Meanwhile, several notable personalities including Fawad Chaudhry and Humayun Saeed expressed their condolences over her death on social media.

    https://twitter.com/RajaBasharatLAW/status/1375321768378916868