Category: Uncategorized

  • Five Israeli soldiers killed by their own tanks in Gaza

    Five Israeli soldiers killed by their own tanks in Gaza

    Israel said Thursday that five of its troops were killed by friendly fire in Gaza, as a rift emerged inside the war cabinet on how the Palestinian territory should be ruled in future.

    The army said that the five soldiers were killed when two Israeli tanks mistakenly fired shells at the building they were in during operations in the northern Jabalia refugee camp on Wednesday.

    “Five soldiers of the 202nd Paratrooper Battalion were killed last night in a mass casualty incident as a result of fire by our forces,” the military said, adding that seven other troops were wounded.

    AFP reporters, witnesses and medics said Thursday that Israeli warplanes again targeted areas across Gaza overnight, including in Gaza City and its southern Zeitun area, Jabalia and the Nuseirat refugee camp.

    The military’s main focus has been Rafah near the Egyptian border, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered an offensive in defiance of US warnings that more than a million civilians sheltering there could be caught in the crossfire.

    Netanyahu on Wednesday argued that “we have to do what we have to do” and insisted that mass evacuations there had averted a much-feared “humanitarian catastrophe”.

    Washington — long Israel’s main political, diplomatic and military supporter — has repeatedly urged its ally to take greater steps to protect and aid civilians, and to make a post-war plan for Gaza to avoid being mired in a long counter-insurgency campaign.

  • Gandapur threatens to take over PESCO if loadshedding schedule not changed in KP

    Gandapur threatens to take over PESCO if loadshedding schedule not changed in KP

    The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur on Wednesday threatened to occupy the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) if the federal government did not solve the severe loadshedding problem in the province by tonight.

    “I’m giving a clear message to the Minister of Power and the federal government about the brutal loadshedding you have started in KP,” said Gandapur in a video statement.

    The CM said he’d talked with the PESCO Chief and that at least “five to six hours of decrease in loadshedding” must be implemented in the province.

    The CM stated, “If you think we don’t know how to take our right then we will show it to you.”

    He said his words were not a “warning but my timeline”.

  • Class 9 English paper leaked before examination

    Class 9 English paper leaked before examination

    Matriculation exams are in progress across Sindh including Karachi, where serious lack of management has come to the fore once again.

    According to Geo News, the English paper of class 9 in Karachi went viral on social media before it even started.

    This is not the first case of its kind. A number of matriculation papers have been recently leaked. A physics paper was leaked just a few minutes after the examination started while the mathematics paper was out 30 minutes after the scheduled time.

  • Punjab Cabinet says ‘undue interference’ by institutions unacceptable

    Punjab Cabinet says ‘undue interference’ by institutions unacceptable

    The Punjab cabinet, on Tuesday, made a strong statement that it would not accept any ‘undue interference’ in the government’s authority by another institution.

    Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz presided over the meeting and made it clear that the Punjab government believes in harmony between state institutions, but unfair interference in the executive authority was unacceptable.

    This statement came after the Lahore High Court passed a ruling to extend the stay order against the distribution of electric motorcycles by Maryam Nawaz among students.

    “It is the responsibility of all of us to uphold the sanctity of our office by exercising our powers within the constitutional limits,” Maryam Nawaz said while addressing the cabinet.

  • Gold prices rebound, increasing by Rs2,900 per tola

    Gold prices rebound, increasing by Rs2,900 per tola

    Gold prices in Pakistan experienced a notable turnaround on Wednesday, bouncing back after a downward trend observed over the past three sessions.

    This resurgence coincided with a global uptick in gold rates. In local markets, the price of gold per tola surged to Rs244,000, marking a substantial single-day increase of Rs2,900.

    According to data provided by the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA), the price of 10 grammes of gold reached Rs209,191 following a rise of Rs2,487.

    Internationally, the price of gold also witnessed a rise during the day. APGJSA reported an international rate of $2,365 per ounce, with an additional premium of $20, reflecting an increase of $28.

    In contrast, silver prices remained steady at Rs2,650 per tola.

    Notably, the local gold market had reached a record high last month, with prices hitting Rs252,200 per tola.

    This positive turn comes after a decrease of Rs1,200 per tola observed on Tuesday in the gold prices in Pakistan.

  • Ireland to recognise Palestinian statehood ‘this month’: minister

    Ireland to recognise Palestinian statehood ‘this month’: minister

    Ireland is certain to recognise Palestinian statehood by the end of May, the country’s foreign minister said Wednesday, without specifying a date.

    “We will be recognising the state of Palestine before the end of the month,” Micheal Martin, who is also Ireland’s deputy prime minister, told the Newstalk radio station.

    In March the leaders of Spain, Ireland, Slovakia and Malta said in a joint statement that they stand ready to recognise Palestinian statehood.

    Ireland has long said it has no objection in principle to officially recognising the Palestinian state if it could help the peace process in the Middle East.

    But Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza has given the issue new impetus.

    Last week EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Spain, Ireland and Slovenia planned to symbolically recognise a Palestinian state on May 21, with others potentially following suit.

    But Ireland’s Martin shied Wednesday from pinpointing a date.

    “The specific date is still fluid because we’re still in discussions with some countries in respect of a joint recognition of a Palestinian state,” said Martin.

    “It will become clear in the next few days as to the specific date but it certainly will be before the end of this month.

    “I will look forward to consultations today with some foreign ministers in respect of the final specific detail of this.”

    Last month during a visit to Dublin by Spanish premier Pedro Sanchez, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said the countries would coordinate the move together.

    “When we move forward, we would like to do so with as many others as possible to lend weight to the decision and to send the strongest message,” said Harris.

    Israeli genocide in Gaza has killed more than 35,000 people in the besieged strip, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.

  • PTI conditionally ready to talk with government

    PTI conditionally ready to talk with government

    On Tuesday, the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) signalled that it was ready to hold dialogues with trivial political parties albeit with some conditions – including taking back all cases against Imran Khan.

    The offer was made by a couple of PTI lawmakers in the National Assembly as members indulged in verbal skirmishes.

    “Invitations for talks have come from Rana Sanaullah, the political adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif …. as well as President Asif Zardari. I want to put this before the house on behalf of PTI. When has Imran Khan refused to hold negotiations,” asked PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan while taking part in the debate.

    “We believe that if Pakistan is to be put on the right track, then we [the politicians] will have to make decisions. We do not need any broker, dealer or individual who brings us to sit together,” he said, adding that when they would take their fight outside parliament, “then the Supreme Court will come into action, and Pindi [a reference to GHQ] and Aabpara [a reference to the ISI head office] and many other forces will come into action”, said Mr Khan, who served as the parliamentary affairs minister during the previous PTI government.

    He asked the speaker to take the initiative, stating that their first point was the release of Imran Khan and other “political prisoners” as well as the withdrawal of all “political cases”.

    The PTI MNA also mentioned the arrest of Nawaz Sharif by Gen Musharraf, saying they could not support such an action. He said Imran Khan was being punished like his predecessors when they tried to make independent decisions.

  • Karachiites to suffer more water shortages

    Karachiites to suffer more water shortages

    The Water Corporation has warned the people of Karachi suffering from shortage that there will be further reduction in water supply, advising carefully storing and using water.

    Geo reports that according to the spokesperson of Water Corporation, the supply of water from New Pump House Gharo will be suspended from May 16 to 19 due to development works of K-Electric and Water Corporation.

    The annual work by Water Corporation and K-Electric in New Pump House Gharo will result in a shortage of 13 MGD of water in the city.

    The Water Corporation also said that new electrical panels and electrical equipment will be installed in New Pump House Gharo, and the total duration of development works will be 72 hours.

  • Aleema Khan alarmed over Imran Khan’s safety in Adiala Jail

    Aleema Khan alarmed over Imran Khan’s safety in Adiala Jail

    Aleema Khan, sister of founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, took to X (formerly Twitter) on May 15 to express concerns about the safety of her brother whilst he is incarcerated in Adiala Jail.

    Aleema Khan wrote, “Imran Khan informed us in jail: “I am concerned that they have suddenly changed my security guards at midnight.” When asked, he was told they that they had gone on leave for 2 months.”

    She also stated that a family meeting with Imran Khan was cancelled by jail authorities and the same thing happened with Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s family meeting on Monday.

    “This evening, we were informed that Al-Qadir case in jail court has also been cancelled. Quite simply, we are very concerned about his safety and well-being and can never rule out the threat to his life. There have already been several assassination attempts on him in the past few years,” she wrote on X.

    Social media reactions were mostly sympathetic to Khan’s post.

  • Massive recruitments approved for vacancies in government departments

    Massive recruitments approved for vacancies in government departments

    If you are young and unemployed, this one’s for you: the government is recruiting for 1,102 vacant posts for grades 1 to 17 in federal ministries and subordinate institutions.

    The Establishment Division has issued separate NOCs for each institution.

    NOC has been issued for the recruitment of 12 vacancies of Medical Officers (Grade 17) in District Health Office Islamabad. These recruitments will be through FPSC while two of Grade 16 and 17 in National Library, five for Information Service Academy of Grade I to 13, and 206 recruitments of Grade 4 to 15 will be made in the Defense Division.

    Additionally, 66 Grade I to 15 in the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, 429 Grade I to 15 (including 85 regulars) in PIMS Hospital, one Information Officer Grade 17 and Grade 16 Computer Operator in Ministry of Defense (GHQ). Another Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital will be filled for 77 posts from Grade I to 15.

    Surplus of Establishment Division to recruit 85 of Grade 4 to 15 in Ministry of External Affairs, six of Grade 16 in Staff Welfare Organization, 13 of Grade I to 14 in Pakistan Public Administration Research and 199 of Grade I to 15 in FIA.