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  • No, Pakistan did not cheat Turkey in the name of relief material?

    No, Pakistan did not cheat Turkey in the name of relief material?

    Senior journalist Shahid Masood has apologised for the disinformation that he passed on his show.

    The anchor had claimed on the aid sent by Pakistan to his show, ‘Live with Dr.Shahid Masood’ on GNN that the aid Islamabad had sent to Ankara after this month’s devastating earthquake, had infact been sent by Turkey when floods hit Pakistan in 2022.

    Soon after, the story went viral on social media, eventually landing on Indian news channels and websites, running propaganda against Pakistan.

    Masood has now tendered an apology for stating incorrect facts on his show.

    Masood said that as his show is live, he received a text from a Turkish number and said the words on-air. However, he apologised for the incorrect news he said on-air.

  • Gold prices rise on weaker Pakistani rupee and economic outlook

    Gold prices rise on weaker Pakistani rupee and economic outlook

    On Tuesday, gold prices rose further to reach a one-week peak achieved last week, supported by a weaker Pakistani rupee. Investors were keeping an eye on upcoming economic developments that could impact the market’s direction. The All-Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA) reported that the price of gold (24 carats) rose by Rs500 per tola and Rs429 per 10 grammes to settle at Rs197,000 and Rs168,896, respectively.

    The decline of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar in the interbank market by 0.24 per cent to Rs262.51 boosted the appeal of the precious metal. However, the outlook for gold remained uncertain as the prospects of the rupee’s recovery against the dollar increased, driven by optimism surrounding the revival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

    The yellow metal gained Rs3,800 per tola over the last three sessions. Silver prices in the domestic market also increased by Rs20 per tola and Rs17.14 per 10 grams to settle at Rs2,150 per tola and Rs1,843.27 per 10 grammes, respectively.

    Meanwhile, in the international market, gold prices dropped by $12 per ounce to settle at $1,832 due to the rise of the dollar, while investors awaited US economic data to determine the Federal Reserve’s interest rate strategy. The dollar index remained high, making dollar-priced gold more expensive for buyers with other currencies.

    Han Tan, chief market analyst at Exinity, said that gold’s primary driver remains the changing expectations surrounding the Fed’s policy moves, and the upcoming release of the FOMC minutes could provide more clues. If the US economy continues to defy the Fed’s rate hikes, it could lead to a higher peak for US rates, which would disappoint bullion bulls.

    The market focus this week is on the release of the Federal Open Market Committee’s January meeting minutes on Wednesday, followed by US gross domestic product data on Thursday and Friday’s core PCE price index. Although gold prices reached their highest level since April 2022 earlier this month at $1,959.60, they have dropped by approximately $130 after US data indicated a robust economy.

  • NAB summons Khan and wife on March 9 in Toshakhana case

    NAB summons Khan and wife on March 9 in Toshakhana case

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on March 9 in connection with the Toshakhana reference.

    The anti-graft watchdog’s Rawalpindi branch summoned the PTI chief hours after NAB Chairman Aftab Sultan tendered his resignation after reportedly refusing to “toe the line”.

    In its notice to Khan, NAB wrote: “The competent authority has taken cognizance of an offence allegedly committed by the accused persons under the provisions of NAO, 1999.”

    The questions on gifts included in the notice are on six Rolex watches and an iPhone given by the Chief of Staff of the Qatari Armed Forces.

    On November 19, NAB had taken notice of the alleged non-disclosure of the actual value of gifts received by the former prime minister, his wife, and other cabinet members.

  • ‘If we lose one Hindu girl, we should trap 10 Muslim girls’: Indian politician urges men to fight ‘love jihad’

    ‘If we lose one Hindu girl, we should trap 10 Muslim girls’: Indian politician urges men to fight ‘love jihad’

    Indian politician Pramod Muthalik has urged young Hindu men to lure “10 Muslim girls if we lose one Hindu girl” through what he called “love jihad”.

    Muthalik, the chief of the Hindu nationalist party Sri Ram Sena, alleged that thousands of Hindu girls were being “exploited in the name of love jihad”, the belief that Muslims are seeking to deceive Hindu women through marriage and convert them to Islam.

    “We are aware of the situation. I would like to invite the youth here. If we lose one Hindu girl, we should trap 10 Muslim girls. If you do so, Sri Ram Sena will take responsibility for you and provide every kind of security and employment,” said Muthalik, as quoted in The Indian Express.

    “Our girls are exploited in love jihad. Across the country, thousands of girls are cheated in the name of love. We should warn them,” the politician further said.

    “I am not saying this because elections are around the corner. My statements have always been in the interest of Hindus,” the report quoted him as saying.

    The Indian Express added that Muthalik’s comments have been widely criticised, with “love jihad” considered to be a baseless conspiracy theory that courts have rejected.

  • Pakistani rupee breaks winning streak, closes at Rs262.51 against dollar

    Pakistani rupee breaks winning streak, closes at Rs262.51 against dollar

    During Tuesday’s interbank trading, the Pakistani rupee (PKR) declined and experienced losses against the dollar, reaching a low of Rs265 versus the dollar.
    The rupee lost 63 paisas versus the dollar by the time markets closed, depreciating by 0.24 per cent.

    The local currency commenced trading at Rs261.50 versus the US dollar with full red value. By lunchtime, the dollar had risen to about Rs264 versus the rupee. Before the interbank closure, the local currency was mostly bearish versus the top foreign currency after 1 PM.

    The National Assembly passed the Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2023, on Monday, proposing extra taxes and tariffs of Rs170 billion, ending the rupee’s five-day winning streak against the dollar and clearing the way for the staff-level deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    After its record-breaking single-day plunge of Rs25 in the latter week of January, when the rupee was finally “freed” versus the US dollar in the inter-bank market, the rupee has lost more than Rs27. The PKR has decreased by 62.99 paisas today based on observable market trends and fiscal developments.

    Money exchangers claim that a further delay in the staff-level agreement with the IMF might increase pressure on the PKR as investors and exporters alike track exchange rate movements to calculate profit yields in the face of constrained revenue estimates and related import restrictions.

    The rupee may appreciate until the conclusion of the current fiscal year, 2022–2023, in the event that the rescue is successful.

    After obtaining a $2.5 billion loan, the IMF’s current loan programme will end on June 30, 2023. Pakistan will have to reapply for the new loan programme if necessary in the next fiscal year.

  • ECP to consult with AGP on Alvi’s election date

    ECP to consult with AGP on Alvi’s election date

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday held a meeting to review the situation evolving after President Arif Alvi’s unilateral announcement of a date for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    ECP decided to consult Attorney General for Pakistan and other legal experts in this regard.

    The meeting was called to after the president announced April 9 as the date for the polls of provincial assemblies.

    On Monday, Alvi exercising his power under Section 57 (1) of the Elections Act, 2017, announced the election date and further asked the ECP to issue an election programme in accordance with Section 57 (2) of the Act.

    Alvi’s move was rejected by federal ministers who were of the view that the president had abrogated the Constitution and he had no right to announce the date.

    The ECP stated that “the commission has been and will continue to make decisions without any pressure according to the Constitution and law”.

    It added that the electoral watchdog is always ready to conduct an election within 90 days as per the Constitution and law, but nowhere in the Constitution, it is written that the commission will give the date for the election.

  • ‘Stop spinning the truth’: social media users are furious with Farhan Saeed after he defended attending Hum Awards during floods

    ‘Stop spinning the truth’: social media users are furious with Farhan Saeed after he defended attending Hum Awards during floods

    A tweet comparing the response of Turkish actors during earthquake response to Pakistani actors who had flown to Canada to attend Hum Awards during the floods in Pakistan triggereda debate on the micro blogging website, eventually eliciting a response from Farhan Saeed.

    “First, revenue gen was for flood victims. Sec, all these telethons that happen in Pak, artists raise funds. For all the Shaukat K. hospitals, artists have raised most of the funds with IK , but with inferiority complex like yours , you’ll always like others better. So carry on”, the former member of the Jal band had written.

    Saeed’s response received intense backlash on Twitter as users pointed out that the ‘Suno Chanda’ actor had not done anything to promote awareness for floods, and is responding in a dismissive manner to critics.

    Users also criticized his insensitive comment and not being able to recognize the insensivity the actors had portrayed when they had refused to use their platform to gather resources for the floods of Pakistan

    “i get where you are coming from, but right now, it is not about the revenue but about the angle of insensitivity that cannot be brushed under the rug, the award show was happening at the EXACT same time when millions of people had lost their homes and lives in the floods.”

    Many users are called Saeed tone deaf in the comments

  • ‘Grow up’: Twitter users are furious with Shoaib Akhtar after comments about Babar Azam go viral

    ‘Grow up’: Twitter users are furious with Shoaib Akhtar after comments about Babar Azam go viral

    Twitter is furious with Shoaib Akhtar after a clip of his comments about Babar Azam went viral.
    The former fast bowler gave an interview to Suno TV, where among many things he criticized current captain Babar Azam for not being able to communicate well with the media.
    “Babar Azam should be one of the biggest names of Pakistan. Why is he not one of the biggest names? It’s because he is not able to communicate.”

    He stressed that cricket is one job, and being able to communicate with the media is an important aspect. He then cited that as the reason he is still relevant along with other former cricket stars.

    “Cricket is one job, and media is another job…If you can’t speak, then I’m sorry you’re not going to be able to express your performances on the tv.. Why is it only me, Waseem bhai and Shahid bhai who are able to appear in ads?”

    As soon as this interview went viral on social media, fans came in defense of Azam and criticized the former player for his toxic and demoralizing comments for the current cricket team.

    Public speaking can be an essential part of your career but it shouldn’t completely define the kind of person you are. Users believe the Azam’s cricket career speaks volumes about the kind of person he is.

    “Narcissism and superiority complex at its best. Babar azam IS a brand despite his introverted nature. Go cry cuz that’s all you can do about it” another user wrote.

    https://twitter.com/Beybuspaki/status/1627653565832462336?s=20

    “He is already biggest brand, he is cricketer not actor , and he doesn’t need to do that useless things because his job is cricket and he is world no 1 in his job”, another user wrote in defence of the former “Men’s ODI ricketer of Year Award” winner

  • Military, civilian leadership has put full stop on Khan’s appeasement policy on terrorists: Bilawal

    Military, civilian leadership has put full stop on Khan’s appeasement policy on terrorists: Bilawal

    Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that negotiating with those people who don’t accept Pakistan and its constitution is not in favour of the country or it’s people.

    In an interview with German broadcaster DW Urdu, the foreign minister said that the previous government was asking the interim Afghan government to facilitate reconciliation with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and had plans to resettle the militants in Pakistan.

    “Every Pakistani was saying that terrorists who were involved in heinous attacks such as the Army Public School massacre could never be our friends”, said Bilawal.

    Earlier in an interview with CNBC, Bilawal said, “Unfortunately, following the fall of Kabul, the government that preceded ours started negotiating with these very same terrorist groups and without preconditions such as disarming.”

    The foreign minister said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government and military leadership have “put a full stop to the policy of appeasement”.

    Citing the porous border with Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister said that the new government doesn’t have the capacity to man it.

    “We are confident that we’ll be able to take on the terrorist groups that are functioning within Pakistan,” he said.

    Discussing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Bilawal said that if he strives to pursue a democratic path and commits to play a constitutional role, he can have a future, adding that Khan’s ouster through a vote of no-confidence motion was the first time parliament removed a prime minister in a democratic way.

    However, since his ouster, Khan has been asking the army for help in getting back to power, the foreign minister alleged.

     “If the military says it wants to change its controversial conduct constitutionally, it should be welcomed.”

    While responding to a question regarding the statement about Pakistan’s bankruptcy made by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Bilawal said: “He was talking in a political context at a political gathering and he was referring to the harsh economic times rather than speaking technically. He was talking in the overall context of the country.”

  • Suzuki Swift GLX now costs more than Rs4.7 million after latest hike

    Suzuki Swift GLX now costs more than Rs4.7 million after latest hike

    Pak Suzuki Motor Company has announced its third price hike in less than 30 days, resulting in an increase in the prices of some of its more affordable car models. This move follows the ongoing trend, with Pak Suzuki citing mounting inflation and local currency depreciation as the primary reasons for the price increase.

    With immediate effect, the revised car prices are as follows:

    Variants Old Price (Rs) New Price (Rs) Increase (Rs)
    Alto VX 2,034,000 2,144,000 110,000
    Alto VXR 2,359,000 2,487,000 128,000
    Alto VXR AGS 2,528,000 2,665,000 137,000
    Alto VXL AGS 2,615,000 2,795,000 144,000
    Wagon R VXR 2,877,000 3,062,000 185,000
    Wagon R VXL 3,052,000 3,248,000 196,000
    Wagon R AGS 3,348,000 3,563,000 215,000
    Cultus VXR 3,326,000 3,540,000 214,000
    Cultus VXL 3,654,000 3,889,000 235,000
    Cultus AGS 3,906,000 4,157,000 251,000
    Swift GL M/T 3,807,000 4,052,000 245,000
    Swift GL CVT 4,092,000 4,335,000 263,000
    Swift GLX CVT 4,462,000 4,725,000 263,000
    Bolan VX 1,754,000 1,852,000 92,000

    A production halt was announced by the manufacturer last week as a result of the continued economic downturn and inventory constraint. Further days without manufacturing indicate a greater sales drop. That might result in Pak Suzuki losing a considerable portion of its market share, especially in light of the recent price increase.