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  • What next for the PML-N? Experts weigh in

    What next for the PML-N? Experts weigh in

    On July 17, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) suffered a heavy loss in the by-elections as it only managed to win four seats out of 20 while its rival party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 75 per cent (15 seats) of the Punjab constituencies.

    Despite the PML-N’s disastrous performance in Punjab, the federal government has decided to complete its constitutional tenure till August 2023. The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday (July 19). The coalition partners also agreed that they will give a tough time to Imran Khan.

    The Current reached out to experts to ask their opinion on what the PML-N should do next and what will be PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s next move.

    Here is what they have to say.

    PML-N is no longer popular among the masses: Shafqat Mahmood

    “PML-N is no longer popular among the masses. The people of Pakistan have realised that these people are “bhayaanak” [horrible]. It is because of their history of corruption and bad governance during the last three months that they have been badly defeated,” said PTI leader and former Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood.

    Talking about Khan and his future plans after winning the Punjab by-polls Mahmood said, “PTI only wants fair and free elections. On July 22, PTI will be in power in Punjab once again.”

    PML-N needs to go to the drawing board: Mansoor Ali Khan

    Senior journalist Mansoor Ali Khan said that the PML-N needs to go to the drawing board to fix its problems and start the process all over again.

    “They have to go back to the drawing board and start the process again. The most important thing in the present situation for the PML-N to think about is when can Nawaz Sharif come back to Pakistan. His absence has already caused a lot of damage. The party really needs to take a look at all the mistakes committed by them, which led to its defeat in the Punjab by-polls.”

    “I think this is Imran Khan’s winning moment and he will only want early elections. Khan will keep putting pressure on the government and will only want elections. Since the last two months, we have already witnessed him doing this and the Punjab by-polls result is evidence enough that Khan’s plan is working.”

    Federal capital without Punjab is nothing: Kashif Abbasi

    Senior journalist Kashif Abbasi said that the federal capital without Punjab is nothing.

    “The PML-N should talk to the PTI and find a way to work towards early elections. There is no point in running the federal capital without Punjab.”

    Abbasi said that Khan has all the cards at the moment while the PML-N is in trouble.

    “Early elections will possibly favour the PTI as well. So at present, early elections are the solution both for the PTI and PML-N.”

    Early elections should be called: Absa Komal

    Journalist Absa Komal said that the PTI secured a clear mandate in Punjab by sweeping the by-polls in PML-N’s home ground.

    “Ideally, sanity should prevail within the PML-N and early elections should be called.”

    “Khan sahib will keep on resisting, especially if the government creates problems in making Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi chief minister. Meanwhile, he will continue to build a narrative about the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Khan will continue to use his victory in Punjab for building his future narrative,” said Komal.

    PML-N reaction

    Meanwhile, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique said that these by-elections cannot measure the popularity or unpopularity of the PML-N. 

    Finance Minister Miftah Ismail stated in an interview that the government would keep making difficult choices in an effort to save the economy and keep the nation from going bankrupt.

    The finance minister also noted that it was crucial for the government to take unpopular measures, which also resulted in political setbacks. “But if need be, we will take more tough decisions,” he said.

  • BTS members’ Instagram earnings: From Jin charging PKR 13.6 crore to RM charging PKR 33 lacs per post

    BTS members’ Instagram earnings: From Jin charging PKR 13.6 crore to RM charging PKR 33 lacs per post

    The South Korean boy band BTS enjoys a massive fan following around the globe. It’s the ARMY (their fandom) that helped the septet rise to immense fame. Well, apart from their concerts, shows, and other endorsements, the boys are very much capable of minting quite some huge amount of money from social media too.

    Just last year in December the septet – RM, Jin, Suga, Jimin, Jungkook, V and J-Hope made their Instagram debut leaving the entire ARMY super elated. Just in a day, the boy band welcomed millions of followers on the social media handle. Talking about their social media handle, take a look at the earnings the boys can make once they start dropping sponsored posts. We are sure the numbers will leave you baffled.

    BTS 7 Fates Chakho: Bangtan Boys' Webtoon Takes On Monster In MCU-like World, Members In Awe; Watch

    RM (Kim Namjoon): The leader of BTS RM enjoys a massive fan following of 36M followers on Instagram. The posts on his account are all about museum outings, concert pictures and many other interesting updates on his daily life. As per the report by Koreaboo, the price of a sponsored post on the leader’s account would be a whopping cost of $16K which is around PKR Rs 33 lacs.

    Jin (Kim Seokjin): Jin who is the eldest member of the boy band enjoys a fan following of 37M followers on Instagram. Apart from his cute snaps and thriving stories, according to the same reports, he can earn up to $614K (PKR- 13.6 crore).

    V (Kim Taehyung): Everyone’s beloved member V has a huge number of followers of 47M and growing followers. Every minute his followers are just growing in real-time, all thanks to his high engagement posts and stories. Even though V has claimed that he does not understand the algorithm of IG, according to the reports, can get about $68K USD-$810K.

    Jungkook (Jeon Jungkook): aka The Golden Maknae of BTS who enjoys 43M plus Instagram followers can earn around USD 33K to $395K.

    Jimin (Park Jimin): The heartthrob of BTS has 39M plus followers on Instagram and can reportedly earn about USD 63K to USD 756K. The bar has been set super high for other artists for sure.

    Suga (Min Yoongi): Yoongi has a humongous following of 36M plus followers on Instagram and can make up to USD 54K to $645K.

    J-Hope (Jung Hoseok): Lastly, everyone’s J-Hope Oppa who has a following of 37M plus can earn about USD 37K to $449K.

  • Pakistani rupee hits new all-time low of Rs224 against US dollar

    Pakistani rupee hits new all-time low of Rs224 against US dollar

    Despite the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) announcement that the multibillion-dollar loan programme would resume, the Pakistani rupee plunged to an all-time low against the US dollar on Tuesday, reaching Rs224 in the interbank market.

    Today, the local currency continued to lose value against the US dollar and lost another Rs8.80. In the interbank market on Monday, the rupee fell by Rs4.25 or 1.97 per cent against the US dollar.

    With ongoing political unrest and a bad macroeconomic environment, the currency has considerably depreciated.

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has begun to stifle the outflow of small dollar amounts of less than $100,000 in order to prevent a further decline in the reserves, putting numerous factories at risk of closure and financial penalties.

    According to the sources, Pakistan is using a variety of capital controls, including restrictive measures, to prevent a situation resembling default while the IMF takes its time approving and disbursing a $1.12 billion loan tranche.

    Resuming the loan programme will increase the nation’s ability to make international payments and unlock foreign currency inflows from other bilateral and multilateral sources as well.

    Additionally, China has extended its $2.3 billion loan to Pakistan and deposited it in the State Bank a few weeks ago. In line with the decline in the rupee, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) fell 770 points during Monday’s intraday trading. After “political and economic uncertainties in Pakistan,” the capital market came under fresh pressure, a specialist claimed.

    Finance Minister Miftah Ismail stated in an interview that the government would keep making difficult choices in an effort to save the economy and keep the nation from going bankrupt.

  • Boat heading to a wedding capsizes, at least 20 dead

    Boat heading to a wedding capsizes, at least 20 dead

    On Monday, a boat capsized in the Indus River, killing at least 20 people while around 30 people are still missing. The boat was carrying passengers to a wedding.

    The boat was heavily loaded at the time of the incident as it was carrying more than a 100 people. Police officer Mohammad Hammad told AFP that “most of the drowned appear to be women” as most of the men knew how to swim while the women did not.

    “We’re not sure how many people exactly were on the boat. We’re getting the estimates just on the basis of the family members’ accounts,” local government official Aslam Tasleem told Geo News.

    According to the government’s announcement, over 35 divers from a state-run rescue organisation took part in an effort to find and rescue the passengers.

    Prime Minister (PM) Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has also expressed his grief after the loss of lives in the incident.

  • Video: Man gropes burqa-clad woman in Islamabad

    Video: Man gropes burqa-clad woman in Islamabad

    A CCTV footage of a man forcefully groping a woman is being shared on social media. The video was posted by Twitter user Ehtesham Ali Abbasi and the incident took place in the I-10 area of Islamabad.

    In the video, a man can be seen running towards a burqa-clad woman and then groping her from behind. The woman tries pushing the man away. He later runs away.

    The Islamabad Police is currently investigating the case. The man has reportedly been traced.

    Ehtesham Ali Abbasi tweeted to the Islamabad Police that the family of the woman who was harassed is also satisfied with the police investigation.

    People on social media are requesting the Islamabad Police to arrest the culprit at the earliest.

  • PM Shehbaz urges ECP to announce ruling on PTI foreign funding case

    PM Shehbaz urges ECP to announce ruling on PTI foreign funding case

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the “long-delayed judgment” in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) foreign funding case.

    The premier took to Twitter today, urging the ECP to give the verdict in PTI’s foreign funding case, which was reserved on June 21.

    “I urge the Election Commission of Pakistan to announce the long-delayed judgment on PTI foreign funding case,” said the PM.

    The prime minister said that for long, Imran Khan has been given a free pass despite his “repeated & shameless attacks on state institutions”.

    “Impunity given to him has hurt the country,” added PM Shehbaz.

    The ECP reserved the verdict in the case nearly a month ago on June 21, following a hearing by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja.

    On Monday, PTI Chairman Imran Khan criticised the ECP for being biased and demanded CEC Sultan Raja’s resignation over his alleged favouring of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    “We have no confidence in this Chief Election Commissioner, he should resign. He conducted the Senate election, the Supreme Court allowed him to verify the Senate vote, the Election Commission and all political parties know that money runs in the secret Senate polls but this Election Commissioner did not follow it,” said Khan.

    “The biggest regret I have in the Punjab by-elections is on the Chief Election Commissioner as he has done dishonesty, there is no merit in him, it was found that typing mistake took place and four million people were shown dead. Had this happened elsewhere in the world, he would have resigned. We had eight cases with which we went to the Election Commission and it rejected them while the courts gave verdicts against it, which means the ECP deliberately gave decisions against us,” claimed Khan.

  • Kaptaan smashes Noon at Shehbaz Speed

    Kaptaan smashes Noon at Shehbaz Speed

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) swept the Punjab by-elections held on July 17 by bagging a total of 15 out of 20 Punjab Asse­mbly seats while the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) only managed to win four seats. An independent candidate won one seat. The unexpected and sweeping victory of PTI in the all-important Punjab by-polls is set to influence the political as well as economic future of the country. The outcome of the by-elections has not just sealed the fate of Hamza Shehbaz’s government in Punjab but also sent alarm bells ringing for Shehbaz Sharif’s federal government.

    The million dollar question is, what happened in Punjab that the kaptaan was able to pull this off in the heart of PML-N? PTI Chairman Imran Khan led a vigorous campaign against those who had ditched the party during the first poll for the chief minister on April 16 and voted for Hamza. Even the PML-N’s voters did not vote for the ‘lotas’ or turncoats. Khan continuously targeted the ‘neutrals’ for not siding with him in foiling the so-called ‘conspiracy’ the PML-N, PPP, and other parties had allegedly hatched “with the help of the United States” to oust him from power. That his foreign conspiracy mantra sold like hot cakes shows that Pakistanis love conspiracy theories.

    The Punjab by-elections have brought to the limelight further questions: what is next for the PML-N? The ruling PML-N really needs to ‘introspect’ its shortcomings and need to go back to the drawing board and check every possible situation that led the party to its failure in Punjab. Was the vote of no-confidence the right move? Was the PML-N really thinking that a father-son duo as prime minister and the chief minister can turn out to be successful? At present, the most important question is, when is Nawaz Sharif coming back? The party has faced a lot of damage in his absence. Within the PML-N, a lot of people are of the view that Hamza should accept defeat and immediately resign as chief minister, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should call the next general elections as soon as possible. What the PML-N will do next can shape the future of Pakistan. Will Shehbaz Sharif announce the general elections or stick to power? Will a caretaker government be formed that can also take care of the economy for three months given how crucial the IMF deal is?

    Whatever happens, Pakistan is in need of massive reforms. With the pertaining economic crisis and inflation, major political, as well as economic stability, is required. The country needs stability more than ever.

  • ‘Defeat should be accepted with an open heart’: PTI sweeps Punjab by-polls

    ‘Defeat should be accepted with an open heart’: PTI sweeps Punjab by-polls

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) swept the Punjab by-elections by bagging a total of 15 out of 20 Punjab Asse­mbly seats while the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) only managed to win four seats. An independent candidate won one seat.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Monday thanked the PML-N workers for their tireless efforts and said that Maryam Nawaz ran a great election campaign. “I would like to thank Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz for conducting peaceful elections in Punjab.”

    Congratulating PTI for the big win, Chairman Imran Khan thanked his party workers and supporters of Punjab for what he called not just defeating the PML-N but the entire state machinery.

    “The only way forward from here is to hold free and fair polls under a credible Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The PTI chairman said that now decisions would be taken by masses not in closed rooms,” said Khan.

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, on the other hand, called for introspection following the defeat of the ruling PML-N in its political heartland.

    Maryam took to Twitter and said that the “defeat should be accepted with an open heart”.

    “The PML-N should accept the results of the by-polls with an open heart as it is the decision of the masses,” Maryam Nawaz tweeted. She added that winning and losing were part of politics; therefore, the party should now focus on its weaknesses, identify them, and then overcome them. “God willing, everything will be fine,” said Maryam.

    PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif blamed the “difficult decisions” taken by the Centre for its failure, according to a Daily Jang report.

    PTI’s Secretary General Asad Umar termed PTI victory in the high-voltage Punjab by-elections as a milestone in Pakistan’s political history. 

    Asad Umar also stated that PTI’s core committee meeting would be held today (Monday) with Imran Khan in the chair, where the PTI would take a future course of action.

    Asad Umar also said that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi would be elected as chief minister of Punjab on July 22, adding that Shehbaz Sharif is now only the “Prime Minister of Islamabad”. 

    Speaker Punjab Assembly and leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said that if Imran Khan asks him to dissolve the Punjab Assembly, then he will dissolve the assembly in two seconds without thinking.

    Elahi further said that Imran Khan worked the hardest, and he [Elahi] had won many by-elections, but the strategy Khan made was perfect and he [Khan] used his energy to the fullest.

  • ‘Awkward and uncomfortable’: Aymen Saleem makes revelations about ‘relationship’ with Arslan Naseer

    ‘Awkward and uncomfortable’: Aymen Saleem makes revelations about ‘relationship’ with Arslan Naseer

    Actor Aymen Saleem who was last seen in Paristan on HUM TV has cleared the air regarding her relationship with co-star and friend Arslan Naseer.

    While Replying to a question of a fan on Instagram, she said, “So I and Arslan have always been just costars/friends. In fact, I’d like to request fan pages to not to treat us as a couple. It can get very awkward and uncomfortable. I hope you guys can respect and understand that.”

    The duo have a strong fan base and are adored by their fans who have been shipping them since Chupke Chupke‘s launch.

    Earlier this year, Arsalan took to his Instagram stories to share his stance on Valentine’s day. Terming the day as a curse.

  • The Minor Case: Police to locate, arrest husband Zaheer Ahmed

    The Minor Case: Police to locate, arrest husband Zaheer Ahmed

    Punjab Police is locating Zaheer Ahmed to arrest him on the request of the Sindh Police, head of Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit Salman Sufi tweeted.

    “Upon Sindh Police request to arrest accused Mr Zaheer, Punjab Police has been asked to locate and arrest him and Child Protection Bureau has been intimated to keep the Child in protection center. There is no leniency for Child abuse,” said Salman Sufi.

    On Saturday, Karachi Police said that they had discovered enough evidence against The Minor supposed husband and other accused in a case involving her alleged kidnapping from Karachi and subsequent teenage marriage in Lahore.

    The investigating officer of the case, DSP Shaukat Ali Shahani, stated this in a progress report, saying that statements from witnesses, and an analysis of the call data record (CDR) from suspect Zaheer’s cell phone revealed his presence in Karachi on the day The Minor went missing.

    The progress report was filed before Additional District and Sessions Judge (East) Muhammad Mehboob Awan.

    The report added that cleric Hafiz Ghulam Mustafa, Asghar Ali, and Zaheer Ahmed, as well as his 21 missing relatives, had been identified as suspects in the crimes of kidnapping, which are punishable under Section 363 of the Pakistan Penal Code, and solemnizing child marriage, which is punishable under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2013.