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  • PML-N ministers almost hit each other, use abusive language during National Assembly session

    PML-N ministers almost hit each other, use abusive language during National Assembly session

    Two leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)- federal ministers Murtaza Javed Abbasi and Mian Javed Latif — almost came to blows in a heated debate on Wednesday during the National Assembly (NA) session.

    The debate led to a point where the two senior members tried to hit each other and used abusive language, dismantling the decorum of the House.

    However, witnessing the tense situation several lawmakers including Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Adviser to the Prime Minister (PM) Qamar Zaman Kaira intervened.

    After the matter settled down, Azam Tarar made Murtaza sit with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.

    Some media reports have suggested that the altercation began when Latif was not allowed to speak in the House. But there is no official confirmation of what led to the argument.

    Both ministers haven’t commented on the situation as of yet. However, Murtaza Javed’s official Twitter account posted his pictures inside the National Assembly in which Javed Latif is also present. Both of them can be seen talking to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

  • Pakistan fails to meet Hajj quota due to rising inflation and dollar shortage

    Pakistan fails to meet Hajj quota due to rising inflation and dollar shortage

    On Wednesday, sources within the Ministry of Religious Affairs reported that the government has decided to return Pakistan’s quota of Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia due to a shortfall of applications caused by rising inflation.

    This year marked the first time a quota for Hajj pilgrimage was available in the country, but the shortage of dollars and rising inflation prevented Pakistanis from applying for Hajj.

    The final decision to return the Hajj quota will be made by the federal cabinet. The authorities considered giving the official Hajj quota to private operators after a few applications turned out for the government scheme. However, this option would lead to private operators collecting dollars from the open market, causing unnecessary demand for foreign currency.

    Pakistan had been demanding an increase in the Hajj quota, allowing 179,210 pilgrims to 202,000 or 201,000 pilgrims. This year, the country received its complete quota of 179,000 pilgrims after many years but couldn’t utilize it entirely. It’s worth noting that the cost of government-sponsored Hajj is around Rs1.2 million.

    Due to an acute shortage of the greenback amid the collapsing economy, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony decided to allocate a 50% special quota in the Government Hajj Scheme-2023 for pilgrims who will pay in US dollars. However, a quota of 89,605 Hajj pilgrims was set under the government scheme, falling short of 9,000 applicants.

    The government received 72,869 applicants under the regular scheme and only 8,000 under the sponsorship scheme. Moreover, 28,679 additional applications were received under the official regular scheme against the quota of 44,190. Additional applicants are being sent for Hajj pilgrimage without a lucky draw.

    The sources indicated that a total of $235 million is required for the government scheme, some of which will be provided by the sponsorship scheme and the rest by the government.

  • More than 30 Pakistanis living in Sudan safely reach Jeddah

    More than 30 Pakistanis living in Sudan safely reach Jeddah

    Amid the intensifying conflict in Sudan, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that a ship carrying 37 citizens has arrived in Jeddah from Port Sudan.

    On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari confirmed that the Pakistani diplomatic mission in Sudan had evacuated 700 countrymen to safety, and the status of the remaining nearly 1,500 Pakistanis currently in the African country was being closely monitored.

    Sudan has a long history of civil wars. However, the latest escalation in fighting came on April 15, which has turned residential areas into battlefields.

    Air strikes and artillery have killed at least 512 people and wounded nearly 4,200.

    The violence between the military and the well-armed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group has triggered a humanitarian crisis.

    Tensions began when members of the RSF were redeployed around the country in a move that the army saw as a threat.

  • We asked ChatGPT to write a story about crime in Karachi

    We asked ChatGPT to write a story about crime in Karachi

    ChatGPT is all the rage across the world, changing the landscape in more ways than one. Quickly and with ease, it has redefined everything- from writing essays, CVs, acing college exams and even penning novels!

    If ChatGPT is good at writing fiction, then can it paint a fair picture of Karachi’s street crime and give us a good short story about it? We decided to take the challenge and pitched the idea to ChatGPT and here are the results:

    “The sun had set yet the humidity in Karachi hadn’t reduced one bit. The bustling streets continued to be a buzz of traffic, street vendors, and people going about their business. However, with the rise of darkness, a sense of fear crept in the city. Crime was all too familiar, and the residents of Karachi knew to be cautious when stepping out after dark.

    One such resident of Karachi was Ali. He was an honest man, who had built a life of his own after years of struggle. From selling snacks on the streets to owning a small clothing store in one of the famous markets of Karachi, Ali had come a long way. However, his success story had come with a price. The local mafia bosses would continuously extort him, and although Ali always tried to avoid any trouble, he knew it was only a matter of time before things would go out of hand.

    One evening, as Ali was closing down his shop, he was approached by two men who stood lurking near his stall. They looked as if they were from the mafia and had an unmistakable air of danger around them. Ali knew better than to get into trouble with them and tried to avoid any conversation. However, it was too late. Before he knew it, the men had grabbed him by his collar and pulled him towards them.

    “We need the money, Ali; you’d better be quick in delivering it. We don’t want to get our hands dirty,” one of the men sneered.

    “I don’t have any money, I swear,” Ali tried to explain, hoping the men would let him go.

    “Stop lying, Ali. You think we don’t know how well your business is doing in recent times. We want our share of it, and you better do it quick,” the other man shouted.

    Ali realized he was in a sticky situation, and there was no way out. The mafia bosses wouldn’t leave him alone, but continuing to pay them would only put him and his family at risk. He needed a plan to protect himself and his loved ones.

    Despite the intimidation that he was facing, Ali remained calm and thought things through. He knew there was only one way out – to report everything to the police. But that, he knew, was easier said than done. The police had their fair share of corrupt officers, and with the mafia’s influence, it would be difficult to get any help. But Ali had no other choice. He had worked hard to build his life, and he wasn’t going to let anyone ruin it for him.

    The next day, Ali gathered all his courage and walked into the nearest police station. He narrated everything that had happened to him over the years to the police. Initially, the police officers seemed skeptical, but as Ali presented all the necessary evidence he had collected, they began to take him seriously.

    After a few weeks of investigations, the police finally made their move. Undercover officers managed to gather evidence against the mafia bosses, and with the help of Ali’s testimony, they were able to make arrests. The mafia bosses were tried in court and sentenced to jail time.

    In a single stroke, Ali had managed to rid himself of the mafia’s world and restore his business back to being his own. He felt a sense of pride for having stood up to the people who had been victimizing him for years. For the first time in a while, he felt like he had control over his life and could continue to run his business without any interference.

    As Karachi busied itself through its daily grind, Ali went on with his life, passing through the same bustling streets each day, yet with a newfound sense of confidence. The thing with crime in Karachi was that it never quite left you alone. But with the realization that he could stand up for himself, Ali knew that he had taken the first step towards taking control of his life.”

  • Rizwan, Iftikhar, Imad move up in ICC rankings

    Rizwan, Iftikhar, Imad move up in ICC rankings

    Pakistani opener Mohammad Rizwan has been rewarded for his excellent performance in the recently completed T20I series against New Zealand by gaining ground on India’s Suryakumar Yadav at the top of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20I Batting Rankings.

    Rizwan scored an unbeaten 98 during the fifth and final match of the T20I series against the Black Caps, ending the series as Pakistan’s leading run-scorer with a total of 162 runs.

    That helped Rizwan close the gap on Suryakumar to less than 100 rating points, with the dynamic India batsman still leading the way with 906 rating points while the Pakistani phenomenon rose from 798 to 811 points and maintains second place on the list.

    Pakistan skipper Babar Azam held onto the third spot despite the right-hander dropping 13 rating points to reach 756 points after he managed just 19 runs in the final match of the series.

    The big mover on the latest rankings for T20I batters was New Zealand dasher Mark Chapman, who moved up 45 places to a career-best 35th spot overall, following his match-winning century in that final game of the series in Rawalpindi.

    Another big mover for Pakistan was Iftikhar Ahmed, who scored 36 in the final match. He moved six places to joint-38th, his career-best position.

    One of Pakistan’s most impressive performers during that tied series was all-rounder Imad Wasim, with the experienced lefty producing enviable efforts with both bat and ball.

    Imad scored 31 in the fifth and final game of the series, but it was his eight wickets at an average of 10.37 that really stood, with the 34-yer-old rewarded on both the bowler and all-rounder rankings.

    Imad jumped inside the top 100 on the list for bowlers and also rose 44 spots to equal 24th on the latest rankings for T20I all-rounders.

  • Toyota Indus Motor Company sees 142% increase in quarterly profit despite low demand

    Toyota Indus Motor Company sees 142% increase in quarterly profit despite low demand

    Indus Motor Company (IMC) announced a 37 per cent decrease in its profit-after-tax (PAT) for the third quarter of financial year 2022-23, with earnings of Rs3.216 billion compared to Rs5.118 billion in the same period last year.

    Despite this, the automaker saw an increase in its quarterly PAT by 142 per cent, which was attributed to an improvement in gross margins, resulting in an operating profit after two consecutive quarterly operating losses. The company also declared an interim cash dividend of Rs24.4 per share, in addition to the previously paid interim cash dividend of Rs18.4 per share.

    Muhammad Abrar, an investment analyst at Arif Habib Limited, explained that IMC was able to offset the impact of currency devaluation by raising the prices of its cars significantly. The automaker’s operating expenses were also curtailed. While revenue decreased by 29 per cent due to lower units sold, IMC’s gross profit was Rs3.05 billion during 3QFY23, compared to Rs5.23 billion in the same period last year.

    Pakistan’s auto sector has been struggling due to the government’s decision to curb imports and restrict issuance of Letters of Credit (LC), higher finance cost, and massive increases in car prices. Despite this, IMC’s gross margins improved to 6.3 per cent on a QoQ basis, which was unexpected, according to Abrar.

    According to Brecorder, the company’s earnings per share (EPS) stood at Rs40.92, compared to Rs65.11. IMC’s board of directors met to review the company’s financial and operational performance in the first nine months ended March 31, 2023. While higher profits are expected in the upcoming quarter due to the increase in car prices and the reduction of operating expenses, the country’s auto industry reported a 66 per cent decrease in car sales compared to March 2022.

    Last week, Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited also reported its highest-ever quarterly loss of Rs12.9 billion in the first three months of 2023 due to decreased sales and high finance costs.

  • Hospital screenings to be sped up as fear of monkeypox spreads 

    Hospital screenings to be sped up as fear of monkeypox spreads 

    The Ministry of Health has instructed officials to accelerate passenger screening procedures at airports and establish quarantine units in hospitals to limit the spread of monkeypox disease. 

    According to the ministry, there have been 87,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox worldwide, resulting in 119 deaths in different countries. In Pakistan, 22 suspected cases have been sent to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Islamabad for testing since May 2022.

    The Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination on Tuesday  confirmed the first case of monkeypox in the country, Geo news has reported.

    Monkeypox is a viral disease brought on by the monkeypox virus, a germ from the orthopox virus genus.

    Humans can contract the monkey pox virus through coming into personal contact with an infected person, contaminated objects or infected animals.

  • Nawaz isn’t coming back to Pakistan, leaving for London from Saudi

    Nawaz isn’t coming back to Pakistan, leaving for London from Saudi

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has concluded his tour of Saudi Arabia and is set to return to London.

    The former Prime Minister, who was accompanied by his daughter and Senior Vice President of his party, Maryam Nawaz, will fly back to the British capital where he has been living since 2019 after leaving Pakistan for medical treatment. Maryam Nawaz, however, is expected to return home on Wednesday around midnight.

    Nawaz was in the Kingdom from April 11 on the invitation of the Saudi royal family. His meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made headlines back home, especially given that Maryam Nawaz was a part of it.

    During his stay, Nawaz also performed Umrah and also visited the Roza-e-Rasool (PBUH).

    Speculations were rife among political circles that Nawaz might come back to Pakistan after almost three years of living abroad. However, the Sharif family never confirmed the rumour.

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  • President Alvi’s cryptic tweet says he’s disappointed watching TV

    President Alvi’s cryptic tweet says he’s disappointed watching TV

    President Dr Arif Alvi has posted a cryptic tweet on Wednesday, stating that he is disappointed while watching TV where he sees the eagerness of friends seeking “filth” in each other.

    “Watching TV I am disappointed to see the eagerness of friends seeking only filth in each others souls as if that is the shortest route to salvation.”

    The tweet further said that watching such things reminded him of the words of Shams Tabrizi and wrote, “Real filth is the one inside. The rest simply washes off. That which cannot be cleaned even with pure waters is the stain of hatred & bigotry contaminating the soul. You can purify your body through abstinence & fasting, but only love & forgiveness will purify your heart” Lets pray to Allah to help us do it.”

    It is unclear which friend the President was referring to.

  • Aryan Khan directs father Shah Rukh Khan in ad for ‘D’YAVOL X’

    Looks like the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. After Suhana’s entry into the world of entertainment, Aryan Khan is set to follow in his father Shah Rukh Khan’s footsteps with his directorial debute.

    On Tuesday, the eldest son of the superstar shared a snippet of the ad of the upcoming streetwear brand ‘D’YAVOL X?’, which starred the Bollywood Badshah himself.

    The project has received praise from social media users, with plenty of applaud for Aryan’s acting and his direction skills, saying that he had a bright future ahead of him.

    https://twitter.com/iam_sharukh03/status/1650801280103903232?s=20

    Previously, Aryan had announced on his Instagram page that he had finished writing his first web series, which will be made under the banner of his family’s production house ‘Red Chillies Entertainment’.