In an effort to lessen animosity and differences between the superior judiciary, Chief Justice (CJ) Umar Ata Bandial on Monday hosted a dinner for his fellow senior Supreme Court (SC) judges.
All of the judges of the apex court attended the event except for the next CJ of Pakistan, Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
Justice Isa, a lawyer said, might have decided not to attend the dinner as the CJP has already reserved his decision on a government’s plea regarding withdrawal of its curative review petition against an apex court order dismissing a presidential reference against the said judge.
Earlier, a retired chief justice also reportedly tried to resolve the issues between Bandial and Isa but all in vain.
The SC is divided into two groups with eight judges on one side and seven on the other. Two positions in the Supreme Court have been lying vacant.
It is pertinent to mention that questions related to the supreme power given to CJP Bandial were raised when he took up election suo moto case despite opposition by many senior judges including Justice Qazi Faez. Since then the rift in the court has been widely speculated upon.
A free-of charge marriage hall has been established in Islamabad’s Masjid Rehmat-ul-Alamin located in the F-8 sector.
A verified twitter account named ‘Islamabadies’ shared pictures of the marriage hall along with details about how it will function.
“This compassionate initiative aims to make the special day of deserving families even more memorable by providing a free-of-charge marriage hall equipped with a stage for the bride and groom, as well as crockery, tables, chairs, and trained waiters to serve food to the guests of orphan and deserving brides,” read the tweet.
The hall has a three-hour time limit and includes a stage for the bride and groom. The premises can be booked for a wedding ceremony by contacting the mosque management committee.
Twitter users are praising the unique initiative. Have a look at some of the tweets.
To promote Halal Relationship, Masjid Rehmat-ul-Alamin in F-8 sector of #Islamabad has established a free-of-charge Marriage Hall to help deserving families celebrate their daughters” weddings with respect and dignity.
You’ve probably heard this name to death on the internet: Hamza Sohail. Women are fangirling over the ‘Fairy Tale’ alum, sharing clips from his recent dramas, while the actor’s Instagram following soared from 60K to 251K in a matter of weeks. A lot of us are shocked because a Pakistani man being thirsted over by women is a rare thing. That there is a man out there without a problematic past, is actually humble, respectful and is also an incredibly good actor?
We found it difficult to believe as well but Hamza Sohail is currently the leading man of our hearts. With his limited but stellar performances in rom-coms like ‘Fairy Tale’ thrillers like ‘Badshah Begum’ and ‘Raqeeb Se’, he has cemented himself as a star to look out for, and we want our audiences to remember his name.
So if you have likely woken up from under a rock and are taken aback by this sudden take over of Hamza Sohail on the internet, let us guide you through a brief introduction of who he is and what he has done in his career so far.
1 He’s the son of renowned comedian, Sohail Ahmed
Being a Nepo Baby is not exactly something that would strike well with an audience that is longing for fresh faces, especially when it is clear how the entertainment industry tends to sideline people who are not from a well-connected background. But Hamza spoke about this issue in an interview with Fuchsia Magazine, sharing that he wanted to become an actor not because of his father, but of his own interests. He also shared that his parents were quite strict, hoping that he would complete CSS and go into the civil service like his grandfather, which is why they often shielded him from the spotlight and urged him to work hard in school. But Sohail developed a passion for acting from participating in theatre and school plays.
2 He made his debut in ‘Raqeeb Se’
His first drama was ‘Raqeeb Se’ where he played Abdul Rehman, the love interest of Insha (played by Faryal Mehmood).
3 He also played the dashing and sensitive Shahmir in ‘Badshah Begum’, which has now reincarnated on the internet despite airing almost two years ago.
‘Badshah Begum’ was a gripping story about politics and rivalry among siblings to claim the throne. It had a star-studded cast including Farhaan Saeed, Zara Noor Abbas and Yasir Hussain. Sohail played the youngest member of the Pir clan, Shahmir. A year later, fans are still in awe of his performance and the tragic love story between Shahmir and Gulnar (played by Hiba Aziz). We’re definitely joining in on the re-watch!
Liz Truss, the United Kingdom’s shortest-serving prime minister, has declined to reimburse the British government for a sum of £12,000 ($15,000) for her stay at Chevening House while she was Foreign Secretary.
The bill mostly covered hospitality expenditure but also included missing items, such as bathrobes and slippers.
According to a Daily Mail source, officials have informed Liz Truss that she must cover the expenses for items that went missing during her stat at the Chevening estate, which also includes food and wine charges.
A spokesman for Ms Truss said: “Liz always paid for the costs of her personal guests at Chevening.”
The latest invoice contains a mixture of costs for her personal business and costs for official government business with civil servants including [Cabinet Secretary] Simon Case and senior officials from other departments who met at Chevening during the transition preparations.”
“The latter constitutes the majority of the bill. It would be inappropriate for her to pay the costs for officials as it would have breached the Civil Service Code for civil servants to accept hospitality during the leadership campaign. She has therefore asked for this to be billed separately.”
Liz Truss’s tenure as prime minister of the United Kingdom began on 6 September 2022 when she accepted an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to form a government, succeeding Boris Johnson, and ended 49 days later on 25 October upon her resignation.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has published its Future of Jobs Report 2023, which examines how global trends and technologies may impact the job market, including in Pakistan. The report predicts that artificial intelligence (AI) and big data will be vital for companies’ skills strategies worldwide. The report also warns that 83 million jobs may disappear in the next five years across the world, with some jobs becoming obsolete.
The report indicates that 23 per cent of jobs are expected to change by 2027, with 69 million new jobs created and 83 million eliminated. The green transition and localisation of supply chains are expected to generate a net increase in jobs. Cognitive skills, such as analytical and creative thinking, will be the most crucial skills for workers in the next five years, with companies focusing on AI and big data in particular.
The study provides a comprehensive evaluation of Pakistan’s performance related to the Future of Jobs in 2023 and predicts how the job market will unfold in the next 5-7 years. Pakistan has the most negative outlook globally, with a lower skill stability than the global average. The report identifies several global trends and technologies that will affect Pakistan’s job market, such as digital platforms and apps, big-data analytics, and education and workforce development technologies. These trends and technologies will play a crucial role in creating new employment opportunities and driving industry transformation.
WEF’s report suggests that while reskilling and upskilling towards green skills is growing, it is not keeping pace with climate targets. The working-age population in Pakistan is 85.78 million, indicating a vast pool of potential talent. The country’s labor force participation rate is 57 per cent, with 55 per cent of the workforce in vulnerable employment. However, the unemployment rate remains relatively low at 5 per cent. It also highlights that 82 per cent of companies plan to adopt education and workforce development technologies in the next five years.
Mishal Pakistan, the Country Partner Institute of the Center for New Economy and Societies Platform, World Economic Forum, has announced plans to develop a comprehensive report on the Future of Jobs for Pakistan in the third quarter of 2023.
Amir Jahangir, Chief Executive Officer of Mishal Pakistan, believes that by strengthening the education system, investing in vocational and technical training, and fostering a culture of innovation, Pakistan can better equip its population to excel in the global job market. Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, emphasises that investing in education, reskilling, and social support structures will ensure individuals are at the heart of the future of work.
Former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi’s residence in Gujrat was searched thoroughly by the Punjab police and anti-corruption officials in the late hours of Monday.
Pervaiz’s son Moonis Elahi alleged that although the police did not have a search warrant to conduct the raid, he allowed them access to the premises.
According to media reports, police forcefully entered the premises when their knocking at the doors went unanswered.
After the episode, Elahi moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) to prevent his arrest, however, the court rejected his plea.
Prior to this, on Friday, the same officials’ squad used an armoured vehicle to break down the main gate of Elahi’s Gulberg residence in Lahore and entered the house.
Officials are trying to arrest Elahi in a corruption case, however, according to his lawyers, pre-arrest bail has already been taken from a court until May 6 in the particular case.
A heated argument took place between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir after Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 18 runs in a low-scoring thriller at the Ekana Stadium during Indian Premier League (IPL).
Now Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir and Naveen-ul-Haq have been fined for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. LSG’s Naveen-ul-Haq was also spotted arguing with Kohli and that did not go down well with the IPL management.
— Mehulsinh Vaghela (@LoneWarrior1109) May 1, 2023
“Mr Gambhir admitted to the Level 2 offence under Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct and has been fined 100 per cent of his match fee. Similarly, Mr Kohli admitted to the Level 2 offence under Article 2.21 of the IPL Code of Conduct and has been fined 100 per cent of his match fee. Mr Naveen-ul-Haq, on the other hand, has been fined 50 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore,” read a statement from the IPL.
This is not the first time that Virat and Gautam have locked horns with each other. Whenever these two face each other, fans have seen aggression from both sides.
Afghan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq has crafted a bad image in the cricket world by showing abusive aggression. A gesture he made while he aggressively shook hands with Kohli left cricketing fans aghast.
Match Highlights: Royal Challengers Bangalore 126/9 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 44, Virat Kohli 31; Naveen-ul-Haq 3-30, Ravi Bishnoi 2-21) beat Lucknow Super Giants 108 all out in 19.5 overs (K. Gowtham 23, Amit Mishra 19; Josh Hazlewood 2-15, Karn Sharma 2-20) by 18 runs
Janet Yellen, the United States Treasury Secretary, has written to Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, warning that the federal government may exceed its spending limit by June 1 if Congress does not raise the debt ceiling. Yellen’s letter, which was published on Monday, noted that available data suggests that the government will no longer be able to cover its expenses in early June if Congress does not raise the limit before then.
Yellen emphasised the importance of Congress taking action to increase or suspend the debt limit as soon as possible, to ensure that the government can continue to make its payments. While Yellen’s letter indicates the US could enter default as early as June 1, she also noted that it is impossible to predict the exact date when Treasury will be unable to pay the government’s bills.
The potential for a default has raised concerns among experts about its possible impact on the US economy. It could lead to a fall in the US credit rating, resulting in higher interest rates and a possible recession. The process of raising the US spending limits is typically routine, but it has become increasingly contentious in recent years. Republicans in Congress are pushing for steep cuts to social programs in exchange for their support to raise the debt ceiling this year. In contrast, the Biden administration has called for an increase to the debt ceiling without conditions, stating that debates over various programs can be hashed out during negotiations on the yearly budget.
Last week, the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a bill that agreed to raise the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion in exchange for $4.5 trillion in spending cuts for programs like healthcare for low-income communities, renewable energy and transportation. The bill is considered dead on arrival in the Democrat-controlled US Senate, and Biden has stated that he would veto it. However, its passage in the House is considered a victory for McCarthy, who has since called for Democrats to approve the bill and avoid a default.
Democrats have called for a “clean” debt limit increase without haggling or addendums. Virginia Senator Mark Warner tweeted on Monday that the US has about a month until it defaults on paying its debt and emphasised that this is not new spending, but about paying bills already incurred. On May 9, US President Joe Biden reportedly called for a meeting with Democratic and Republican leaders to discuss spending and the debt limit. The Congressional Budget Office has also stated that it sees an increased risk of the government running out of funds by early June due to tax receipts that were lower than expected.
Pakistani authorities and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are blaming each other for the delay in reviving the IMF bailout programme. The IMF approved a $6.5 billion bailout package for Pakistan in 2019, of which $1.1 billion is still outstanding.
However, issues related to fiscal policy adjustments have delayed the release of the funds since November. The delay has raised concerns as Pakistan has less than a month’s worth of foreign exchange reserves and needs the IMF package to avert defaulting on external payment obligations.
With the expiry of the existing IMF programme on June 30, 2023, Pakistan’s options for reviving the IMF programme are shrinking with every passing day.
While Pakistani authorities argue that the IMF is playing politics, IMF sources say they are still waiting for confirmation on the remaining $2 billion from the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, as well as seeking commercial loans from banks.
According to Geo, Dr Khaqan Najeeb, former adviser Ministry of Finance, has called for short-term measures, such as funding from friendly countries, the revival of the IMF programme, clarity on programme completion dates, and work on the budget for 2023-24 to be undertaken to avoid Pakistan being near the brink of default.
