Category: Uncategorized

  • ‘Load shedding, life has become miserable in Purana Pakistan’: Maya Ali calls out Shehbaz Sharif for electricity crises

    ‘Load shedding, life has become miserable in Purana Pakistan’: Maya Ali calls out Shehbaz Sharif for electricity crises

    Actor Maya Ali took to her Instagram stories to share her disappointment on the increasing electricity crises in the country. The A-list heroine said that life has become miserable ever since the new the government has taken over. She is upset with the load shedding being at its peak.

    It is being reported that due to higher demand and reduced generation because of fuel shortages, reduced gas supplies to power plants, Pakistan is experiencing 6-10 hours of electricity load-shedding.

    Earlier the Teefa In Trouble star came forward in support of Imran Khan who has been removed as Prime Minister of Pakistan through a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly.

    The Parey Hut Love diva lamented the success of the no-confidence motion and termed the day as the saddest and darkest day in the history of Pakistan. 

    “We have lost a gem, a true politician and honest PM. I salute Imran khan that he tried his best and fought for the sovereignty of Pakistan till the last moment. Thank you Kaptaan,” she added.

    She also took to her Instagram handle and wrote, “There is only ONE MAN in politics who really wants to do something good for Pakistan. It takes time to rebuild and construct things. Pakistan needs him. Our votes do matter and I stand with him.”

  • Governor says Usman Buzdar still CM but Hamza to take CM oath today

    Governor says Usman Buzdar still CM but Hamza to take CM oath today

    Punjab Governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema has rejected the resignation of Usman Buzdar. The development has come a few hours before PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz Sharif was set to be sworn in. Lahore High Court on Friday, directed National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to administer the oath to the CM-elect after President Arif Alvi and Punjab Governor Omar Sarfaraz Cheema failed to obey earlier court orders.

    Omar Sarafraz Cheema, in his letter to Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi, stated that the March 28 resignation letter of Usman Buzdar was not in accordance with the rules as it was addressed to the prime minister and not to the governor, which was mandatory as per sub-section 8 of Article 130 of the Constitution.

    Governor Cheema then said the resignation was unconstitutional and so rejected, and according to him, Usman Buzdar is still Chief Minister.

    Hamza took oath today as Chief Minister Punjab. He was administered the oath by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on the directives of the LHC as the CM-elect had sought the high court’s intervention on the matter.

  • Pakistan reports two polio cases, girl and boy paralysed

    Pakistan reported its second incidence of wild poliovirus on Friday, after a stool sample from a two-year-old child from the district of North Waziristan in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa tested positive, according to health officials.

    This is the world’s fourth incidence of wild polio in 2022, and Pakistan’s second, which was reported on April 22 in the same district. “Today, the Pakistan National Polio Laboratory at the NIH, Islamabad, has confirmed the detection of Type-1 Wild Poliovirus from the stool specimen from a 24-month-old girl from district North Waziristan, K-P. The girl had onset of paralysis on 14 April 2022,” an official statement said.

    The statement further added that Pakistan had reported only one WPV1 case in 2021 which had onset of paralysis on 27 January in Killa Abdullah, Balochistan.

    “This indicates well-established wild poliovirus circulation within district North Waziristan.”

    Pakistan, along with Afghanistan, is one of only two nations in the world where wild poliovirus is still circulating.

  • Fact check: Has Turkey tightened visa policy for Pakistanis?

    Fact check: Has Turkey tightened visa policy for Pakistanis?

    Claim: Turkish government has tightened the visa policy for Pakistanis after viral social media posts claiming Pakistanis’ involvement in a kidnapping

    Fact: Pakistani embassy in Turkey has refused any changes in Turkey’s visa policy for Pakistanis

    On 29 April 2022, Arab News reported that Turkey had tightened its visa policies for Pakistanis after a Pakistani group allegedly abducted Nepalis at gunpoint while they were wandering in Taksim Square, one of the significant landmarks of the city.

    The abducted people were tortured and their videos were made, with a kidnapping demanding a ransom of 10,000 euros for their release.

    “The Turkish government has tightened the visa policy for Pakistanis after crimes reportedly involving Pakistanis,” a local media news report read. However, the Pakistani Embassy has denied the news reports of changing Turkish visa polices for Pakistanis.

    “In response to various media reports, it is clarified that Turkey has not made any changes in its policy of issuing visas and residence permits specific to Pakistan nationals. The Embassy remains in close contact with the Turkish authorities on all consular related matters,” the Pakistan Embassy in Turkey wrote in a tweet.

    VERDICT: FALSE

  • Govt to file high treason case against PTI leaders

    Govt to file high treason case against PTI leaders

    The government has started preparing a high treason case against the former and the current PTI government officials on the basis of Article 6 for violating the Constitution, confirmed Deputy Secretary General PML-N Attaullah Tarar.

    According to Geo News’ sources, the people who are being named are President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi, Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Former National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri and Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema.

    As per the news outlet, currently, the government is consulting legal experts. The current ministries of interior and law have started gathering evidence related to the case.

    Article 6 of Constitution of Pakistan, says any person who “abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance the Constitution shall be guilty of high treason”.

    On April 3rd, Deputy Speaker Suri “dismissed” the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan, terming it against Article 5 of the Constitution. Then, Khan addressed the nation, saying he had advised President Alvi to dissolve NA, which the President approved.

    Later, the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) declared the act unconstitutional, restored the assemblies and directed to hold the no-confidence motion in the House, which resulted in the removal of Khan’s government.

    A couple of weeks ago, PML-N Hamza Shehbaz was elected as the new CM of Punjab. However, his oath-taking ceremony is still hanging as the Governor of Punjab Omar Sarfraz Cheema declined to administer the ceremony multiple times. Despite Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order to do the ceremony, it is yet to take place.

    Many legal experts have argued that Punjab’s governor cannot decline to administer the oath to the chief minister-elect under any circumstances and termed it illegal.

  • PM Shehbaz might meet Turkish President Erdogan in Saudi Arabia

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is likely to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, states Geo News’ sources.

    Erdogan, who also reached KSA yesterday conveyed a message to PM Shehbaz to meet him. The message reads, “I would like to meet you.”

    The premier is on a three-day visit while the Turkish president is on a two-day visit. Shehbaz held a brief meeting with Madina’s governor, where both the leaders exchanged views on bilateral relations.

    Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said that the prime minister will have bilateral interaction with the Saudi leadership, with a particular focus on advancing economic, trade and investment ties, and creating greater opportunities for the Pakistani workforce in KSA.

    Erdogan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday to mend relations between the two countries in his first visit since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

    It is pertinent to mention that ties between the two nations were strained after Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

  • Pakistan’s foreign currency reserves down by $328 million

    Pakistan’s foreign currency reserves down by $328 million

    State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on April 28, revealed that the central bank’s foreign exchange reserves fell by 3 per cent on a weekly basis.

    The central bank’s foreign currency reserves were $10,558.2 million on April 23, a $328 million decrease from the previous day’s total of $10,885.7 million. according to the SBP, this decline was caused by external debt and other payments.

    Pakistan’s total liquid foreign currency reserves, comprising net reserves held by banks other than the SBP, were $16,668.2 million. Banks held a total of $6,110 million in net reserves.

    SBP’s foreign exchange reserves reached an all-time high of $20.15 billion in the week ending August 27, 2021, after Pakistan received a general allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) worth $2,751.8 million from the IMF on August 24.

    Pakistan bought $2.5 billion using Eurobonds on March 30, 2021, by offering attractive interest rates to lenders in order to enhance foreign exchange reserves.

    Read more: All banks to remain open this Saturday

    On July 9, 2019, it received the first loan amount of $991.4 million from the IMF, which helped to boost reserves. The IMF released the second loan tranche of approximately $454 million in late December 2019.

  • PTI’s Qasim Suri attacked in Islamabad restaurant

    PTI’s Qasim Suri attacked in Islamabad restaurant

    Former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Qasim Khan Suri was attacked in the early hours of Friday at a private hotel in Islamabad. In the incident, Qasim Suri was unharmed, but his friend suffered a slight injury.

    Following the incident, Qasim Suri stated in a video statement saying that he was sitting in a hotel when a bunch of people suddenly appeared and attacked them.

    In his message on Twitter after the incident, Qasim Suri alleged that ‘PML-N goons’ allegedly carried out the attack. Suri has filed an application to register an FIR at the Kohsar police station.

    In a separate incident yesterday, the Pakistani delegation in Saudi Arabia was surrounded by people yelling “chor chor” when they made their way to Masjid-e-Nabwi in Madina.

  • City Traffic Police Lahore to check overcharging, overloading by transporters on Eid

    City Traffic Police Lahore to check overcharging, overloading by transporters on Eid

    The Lahore Traffic Police have declared a crackdown on transport company owners who overcharge and overload passengers during the Eid holidays.

    According to Lahore’s Chief Traffic Officer (CTO), Muntazir Mehdi, thousands of people depart for their hometowns to celebrate Eid with their loved ones. It’s terrible that dishonest transportation owners take advantage of them, he says. Mehdi stated that police had developed a thorough plan to combat exploitation this year. He announced the deployment of at least 84 wardens at Lorry Adda, Badamibagh, Babu Sabu, Niazi Chowk, Thokar Niaz Beg, Shahdara Chowk, Begum Kot Chowk, Gajjumatta, and other key bus stations.

    The traffic police have also issued orders to transportation companies to display fare information prominently on their vehicles. Those who charge high rates to commuters deserve no concessions, according to the CTO, who directed all circle officers to speak with transporter owners in their respective zones. He announced the impoundment of vehicles found overcharging or overloading.

    Police is taking precautions against overcrowding to ensure safe travelling, according to Mehdi, who also stated that additional police officers have been stationed at the city’s entry and exit points. He asked people to phone Police Helpline 15 if they needed assistance or had a complaint. He also stated that people who overload their buses will face consequences.

    Read more: Shopkeepers fined in Islamabad for not adhering to DC rates

    The CTO stated that transportation owners and drivers are required to charge a fixed rate and display a fare list prominently on the vehicle. According to Mehdi, automobiles should be seized if their owners are proven to be overcharging and overloading. Traffic teams have been dispatched to ten locations to investigate overcharging and overloading.

  • Severe heatwave hits Pakistan

    Severe heatwave hits Pakistan

    The extreme temperature has been recorded in the month of April in Pakistan and India while the temperature of Lahore exceeded over 40 degrees Celsius on Thursday.

    The severe heatwave has threatened and puts lives of millions of people at risk. In view the imminent temperature, the Pakistani Government has issued a health advisory, asking people to strictly follow precautionary measures to deal with the situation.

    Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman said, “A heatwave has hit South Asia with the temperature predicted to soar up to 49-50 degrees C. Precautionary measures must immediately be taken to prevent casualties and injuries from heat.”

    According to the Ministry of Climate Change, this year’s March was the hottest month since 1961.