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  • Forced stabilisation of oil prices causes oil industry to face over Rs7 billion in losses: OCAC

    Forced stabilisation of oil prices causes oil industry to face over Rs7 billion in losses: OCAC

    Maintaining oil prices for the second consecutive fortnight could harm the oil industry and disrupt petroleum products supply. The oil industry claims that it has suffered a loss of over Rs7 billion due to the government’s plan to keep oil prices artificially low.

    The nation’s oil industry protested against the government’s “manipulation” of the pricing system in its most recent fortnightly review to keep ex-depot petroleum product prices the same for the next 15 days.

    “This forced stabilisation of oil prices at the cost of the industry is not sustainable and will severely impact the already crippled oil industry,” wrote the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) — an umbrella organisation of more than three dozen oil marketing companies (OMCs) and refineries — to the Ministry of Energy on Wednesday.

    Following political pressure from the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the government declared on Tuesday that all product prices will remain unchanged. However, market participants, including Ogra, had predicted hikes in POL prices beginning on November 16.

    The oil sector claimed that the government was maintaining the rates in defiance of the long-standing pricing system. Over the next 15 days, the oil industry is expected to lose more than Rs7.6 billion as a result of the unilateral shift in pricing.

    According to the OCAC, the price freeze would result in losses for OMCs of Rs8.34 on each litre of petrol and Rs7.15 on each litre of high-speed diesel (HSD), totaling Rs7.55 billion.

    Even though the rates were rising in accordance with the pricing methodology set by the government itself, it claimed that the prices of motor fuels had remained the same for the second fortnight of November. Instead of passing on the increase or absorbing the increase by lowering the petroleum levy, it was claimed that the price components were “very forcefully and unjustly reduced.”

    “The industry is already facing a severe financial crunch due to high global prices, depreciation of the rupee, increased charges on confirmation of letters of credit, high premiums on import, etc and will not be able to survive if these unfair adjustments are not removed immediately”, the OCAC wrote to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and the Petroleum Division.

    According to Dawn, inland freight equalisation margin (IFEM), a collection of transportation fees paid to OMCs, was decreased by Rs3.21 and Rs2.72 per litre on petrol and HSD, respectively, according to the OCAC. According to sources, the Ministry of Finance called the senior Ogra officials on Tuesday night to make these cuts.

    On gasoline and HSD, respectively, the exchange loss adjustment was also decreased by Rs3.01 and Rs2.11 per litre. Additionally, the long-awaited increase of OMC’s sales margins from Rs2.68 to Rs6 per litre was approved by the ECC on October 31. With another loss of Rs2.32 per litre on both products, the “revised margin for both products has not been incorporated in the prices.”

    Based on estimated sales volumes for the second fortnight of November from Ogra, the OCAC estimated a total loss of Rs7.55 billion, including Rs4.25 billion for petrol and Rs3.30 billion for HSD.

    The “forced price stabilization” could pose problems for the supply chain and jeopardise the industry’s survival, according to the OCAC, given the lower stock levels and higher import volume requirements.

  • KP govt amends law to allow official helicopter to be used by private individuals

    KP govt amends law to allow official helicopter to be used by private individuals

    A number of social media users claimed that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly had enacted special legislation allowing for the use of government aircraft by private individuals, but it wasn’t clear whether the information was legit until Geo Fact Check verified it.

    Several Twitter users, on November 14, tweeted that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was implementing new regulations to permit Imran Khan, a former prime minister who is currently out of power, to continue using the official chopper.

    It turns out that the rumours making the rounds on social media are true.

    A bill to alter the 1975 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act has been drafted by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

    The amended bill is named The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) (Second Amendment) Act 2022.

    According to the proposed legislation, a new section will be added to the original law, which reads:

    1. The chief minister may allow a minister, advisor or special assistant to the chief minister, public servant or government servant to use an aircraft or helicopter of the government at government expense.
    2. Any official aircraft or helicopter, subject to availability and with prior approval of the chief minister, can be used for private purposes, on payment of charges at the rate determined by the government from time to time.

    The bill, a copy of which is available at Geo Fact Check, also states that individuals who have been given permission by the chief minister to use an aircraft may bring along as many assistants, support workers, and other people.

  • Bride in India refused to marry after getting ‘cheap’ lehnga from Susraal

    Bride in India refused to marry after getting ‘cheap’ lehnga from Susraal

    A bride in India’s Uttarakhand region called off her wedding after receiving a ‘cheap’ lehnga from her in-laws.

    The woman broke up with her fiance just days ahead of the wedding, after her in-laws sent her a lehenga worth 10,000 Indian rupees. The groom’s father sent it to his daughter-in-law-to-be, however, the bride said she did not like it.

    After hours of heated discussion between the two parties, the subject was brought to the attention of the police, and it was mutually decided that the marriage should not take place.

    As per Indian media news reports, the boy and girl got engaged in June this year and the wedding was scheduled for November, for which the groom’s family had already got wedding invites printed.

  • ‘My family didn’t accept me, siblings bullied’: Trans starlet Alina Khan makes heartbreaking revelations

    ‘My family didn’t accept me, siblings bullied’: Trans starlet Alina Khan makes heartbreaking revelations

    Alina Khan, the transgender star of the award-winning film Joyland recently chatted with The Guardian over her journey as a transgender and the ban on the movie in Pakistan.

    Khan said she was rejected by her family when she came out as trans. “My family did not accept me, but neither did society.” She was told she embarrassed relatives, and her mother was constantly angry with her. “She would tell me not to make exaggerated hand gestures like a woman while talking, to sit like a boy and not be in the company of girls,” said Khan. Her siblings called her khusra – a derogatory term, which was originally used to refer to eunuchs but is also a slur against trans people. But as Khan said: “I had never met a transgender [person] in my life so did not know what they were like.”

    After she received global appreciation for her work, Khan’s family welcomed her with warmth. “They accepted me finally. They realised that I was not earning by begging or doing sex work,” she said.

    Joyland has been hailed on the festival circuit. It was the first Pakistani film to be selected as an official entry at Cannes in May, winning two festival awards and receiving a standing ovation in a packed Salle Debussy theatre.

    “Tears were trickling down my face while I continued smiling. I don’t know whether the tears were of joy, were for all the hard work that I put in, or for my struggles since I was a child and that continue,” said Khan, who made her screen debut in the short film Darling in 2019. “For the first time in my life, I felt my talent preceded my gender, I was given so much respect.”

    The Saim Sadiq directorial was banned last week by the Pakistani government. Canceling the film’s license, which puts its Oscars’ contention in doubt, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, announced: “Written complaints were received that the film contains highly objectionable material which do not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of ‘decency and morality’ as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979”.

    Alina expressed her disappointment with the film’s ban in Pakistan, “I’ve been very sad. There’s nothing against Islam and I don’t understand how Islam can get endangered by mere films.”

    The 24-year-old added: “The Pakistani trans community was also very upset.”

    Set in Lahore, the film tells the story of Haider, a married man who joins a dance troupe and falls in love with the lead transgender dancer, Biba, played by Khan.

    Khan told the Guardian she adores Biba.

    Joyland film poster
    A poster for Joyland, designed by the Pakistani artist Salman Toor. Photograph: Courtesy of Alina Khan

    “She’s a badass, strong-willed, fiercely independent, dominating, outspoken woman, everything that I am not; I loved the role I played,” said Khan. When she was offered the role, she was relieved not to play an “oppressed” character “which is the life for most transgenders in Pakistan”.

  • ‘Rotten scooties, dirty’: Feroze Khan slams celebs who support ‘Joyland’, sides with Maria B

    ‘Rotten scooties, dirty’: Feroze Khan slams celebs who support ‘Joyland’, sides with Maria B

    Actor Feroze Khan has supported designer Maria B’s stance on the ban of the feature film Joyland. He compared her mindset to a Rolls Royce with a 100-year road life. The Khaani star dissed several celebrities who are supporting the film and termed them as “rotten scooties”.

    Khan tweeted, “Maria B’s mindset – Is like Rolls Royce 100-year road life while “other” you know who are like those rotten scooties. Push push no move, you dirty.” He also asked for the film’s ban earlier in an Instagram story.

    An order dated Nov. 11 from Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting says that the country’s censor board had granted a censor certificate to the film on Aug. 17. But it has since reversed the decision.

    “Written complaints were received that the film contains highly objectionable material which does not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of ‘decency and morality as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979,” the order states. “Now, therefore, in the exercise of the powers conferred by Section 9(2) (a) of the said Ordinance and after conducting a comprehensive inquiry, the Federal Government declares the feature film titled ‘Joyland’ as an uncertified film for the whole of Pakistan in the cinemas which fall under the jurisdiction of CBFC with immediate effect.”

    Joyland movie review: Beautifully told tale of soul-crushing patriarchy and LGBTphobia in Lahore-Entertainment News , Firstpost

    “Joyland” was due to release in Pakistan on Nov. 18. 

     Saim and his team members are raising their voices against the ban imposed by the government. Terming the ban a “grave injustice,” Sadiq, in an Instagram post, says that the ban is “absolutely unconstitutional and illegal” and has urged the country’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to review the decision.

    Apart from the movie’s team, several A-list celebrities condemned the ban and extended support to the team.

  • Head of team investigating attack on Imran Khan changed once again

    Head of team investigating attack on Imran Khan changed once again

    The Punjab government has again reconstituted the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) which was formed to investigate the November 3rd assassination attempt on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

    The team’s head has also been changed after the government appointed Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Ghulam Mehmood Dogar as its head. This is the third time that the JIT has been reconstituted, while its head has been changed for the second time.

    On Tuesday, Dogar paid a visit to Khan’s residence in Lahore. According to media reports, the CCPO Lahore was appointed on Imran Khan’s suggestion.

    Punjab government has issued a notification in this regard informing the appointment of Regional Police Officer (RPO) Dera Ghazi Khan Syed Khurram as a member of the JIT, along with Assistant Inspector General of the province’s investigation branch, Ehsanullah Chauhan.

    On November 9, a committee of the Punjab cabinet decided to establish a JIT to probe the attack.

    Mohammad Naveed, the suspect arrested by police right after the firing incident, has confessed to the crime. However, his insistence that he was operating alone has not been accepted by Imran Khan and his party.

  • Responding to Khan, Shahzeb Khanzada has 11 questions

    Responding to Khan, Shahzeb Khanzada has 11 questions

    As details of the sale of Toshakhana gifts come to light, senior journalist Shahzeb Khanzada has raised 10 questions that he wants former Prime Minister Imran Khan to answer.

    After Khanzada’s sensational interview with Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor, who claimed to have bought the state gifts from Farah Khan, Imran Khan wrote, “Enough is enough,” and said that he would sue Geo and the journalist in Pakistan, UAE and United Kingdom.

    Shahzeb Khanzada then appeared on Geo News‘ and told Imran Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that all stories are aired on the channel after due diligence and he was ready to accept the PTI chief’s challenge.

    Speaking over the phone with Geo News, Khanzada said, “We always run a story after complete investigation. It isn’t our responsibility to find out to whom the gifts were sold; Imran Khan’s responsibility is to tell the people.”

    The journalist asked if Khan believes that Zahoor was a “fraudster”, then why does he have the gifts? “If [Khan] did not sell the gifts to him, then whom did he sell them to?”

    Khanzada said that every time he hosts a show about PTI, he makes sure that the party’s leaders are invited, but they never accept the invite.

    “We will face the PTI chairman in any court he wants to go to,” Khanzada reiterated.

    Khanzada asked that Khan answer 11 essential questions:

    1. Why were the gifts sold via Farah Gogi for $2 million dollars?

    2. If Imran Khan did not sell them, how did they reach Umar Farooq?

    3. If the gifts were not sold to Umar Farooq Zahoor, then who were they sold?

    4. Was the money brought to Pakistan after the gifts were sold?

    5. If the money was brought to Pakistan, where is the banking transaction?

    6. If the money was not brought to Pakistan, where is this massive amount of cash?

    7. Why were the transactions shown at nearly Rs. 60 million in papers and not at Rs. 280 million?

    8. Did Imran Khan evade filing taxes on the sale or did he hide the money trail by not disclosing these transactions?

    9. In 2019, the gifts were priced at over Rs. 1 billion. Why were the gifts bought from Toshakhana by only paying slightly over Rs. 20 million?

    10. Why was the national exchequer dealt damages of more than Rs.1 billion?

    11. Why does Imran Khan choose to defend Farah Khan himself?

  • Estée Lauder to buy designer brand Tom Ford for Rs625 billion

    Estée Lauder to buy designer brand Tom Ford for Rs625 billion

    Estée Lauder, a luxury cosmetics brand, has announced that it will pay $2.8 billion to acquire Tom Ford, a luxury clothing brand.

    This will be the US cosmetics company’s largest acquisition to date.

    Estée Lauder won the contract over Gucci’s owner Kering SA by outbidding them. The company already licences Tom Ford cosmetics and fragrances.

    The deal will “open new prospects,” according to Estée Lauder.

    Tom Ford said in a joint statement with Estée Lauder: “I could not be happier with this acquisition.”

    He said the Estée Lauder companies had been “an extraordinary partner from the first day of my creation of the company and I am thrilled to see them become the luxury stewards in this next chapter of the Tom Ford brand.”

    The Council of Fashion Designers of America is currently led by Tom Ford, who first established his company in 2005. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he served as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.

    The companies declared that Tom Ford will continue serving as creative director for at least until 2023.

    According to analysts, the luxury goods market is poised for global expansion at this moment, and China is gradually removing its coronavirus import limitations, allowing the high-demand consumers in this market to gradually resume their pre-pandemic spending habits.

  • ‘Geo & Khanzada supported by Handlers slandered me’: Khan on Toshakhana gifts

    ‘Geo & Khanzada supported by Handlers slandered me’: Khan on Toshakhana gifts

    Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has finally addressed the sensational revelations that came to light on Tuesday about the alleged sale of state gifts given to him when he was the Prime Minister.

    Taking to his twitter account, Imran Khan wrote, “Enough is enough,” about Geo News‘ Shahzeb Khanzada’s interview with Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor. The millionaire revealed on the show that he had purchased the watch and other items gifted by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman to Imran Khan.

    “Yesterday Geo & Khanzada supported by Handlers slandered me through a baseless story cooked up by a known fraudster & internationally wanted criminal. I have spoken to my lawyers & I plan to sue Geo, Khanzada & the fraudster not only in Pak but also in UK & UAE [sic],” tweeted Khan.

    Zahoor claimed in the Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, that the PTI government had sold the expensive Graff wristwatch for $2 million in cash, worth approximately Rs280m at the time of sale in 2019.

    Zahoor claimed that he had bought the watch through former accoun­ta­bility minister Shahzad Akbar and Farah Khan, a close aide of Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi.

    The Dubai-based businessman also claimed that Farah wanted to sell the watch for $4-5 million “but after negotiations, I purchased it for $2 million”. The payment, he added, was made in cash on Farah’s insistence.

    The claims evoked outcry from PTI leaders, including Akbar, who denied Zahoor’s allegations.

    In a press conference alongside PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said the party has decided to initiate legal proceedings against Zahoor as his claims were baseless.

    “In 2018, the Saudi crown prince gifted a watch to Imran Khan and the controversy over the watch’s price has been going on for a while now,” the former federal minister said.

    Chaudhry said the watch was priced at Rs100 million, and in line with the law regulating Toshakhana, Khan sold it for more than Rs50 million in the market and filed capital gain tax on it.

    Divulging the details of Toshakahana’s procedures for purchase, the PTI leader said when the gifts given to state officials arrive in Pakistan, they are deposited into Toshakhana.

    “The law states that 20% of the gift’s value should be deposited in the national exchequer. We amended the law and made it 50%,” he said.

    Defending the former prime minister, Chaudhry said the gift items were not sold to the Dubai-based businessman and Bushra Bibi’s friend had no role in their sale.

    “The watch was not sold to anyone named Umar Zahoor. The watch was not handed over to Farah for sale and she has no role in it,” he said, as he levelled allegations against the millionaire.

  • Arooj Aftab bags another Grammy nomination, Celebrities react

    Arooj Aftab bags another Grammy nomination, Celebrities react

    Musician Arooj Aftab, the first Pakistani to win a Grammy, has been nominated for the second time in the Best Global Music Performance category for her song Udhero Na with Anoushka Shankar.

    Taking it to Instagram on Wednesday, Aftab shared the announcement via The New York Times list of full nominations.

    In another post, Aftab said, “Oh my God! ‘Udhero Na’ has been nominated for a Grammy. Congratulations to me and to Anoushka Shankar, Maeve Gilchrist, and Nadje Noordhuis. Four badass women come together, play a song that I wrote when I was 15 and it’s getting its flowers. So, I’m very emotional and I’m very glad and I’m really really, just, I don’t even know. I’m in this hall of a ship, we’re about to perform in about 20 minutes or so. I don’t know how I’m going to do that but this is great. So, thank you.”

    Several celebrities congratulated Aftab for her consecutive achievements.

    Actor Ushna Shah commented under her video asking if the nominated song ‘Udhero Na’ is from back in the day and if this means ‘Bolo Na’ will be re-release for a third consecutive Grammy in the future. “Bring ’em all home, superstar!” she wrote.

    The post also received comments from transgender rights activist Dr Mehrub Moiz Awan, pianist Meritxell Neddermann, Spanish singer Marta Sánchez and more.

    Actor Sarwat Gilani dropped by in the comment section and wrote, “you go girl” to cheer her on. American singer Jessica Betts, Devonté Hynes, also known as Blood Orange, singer-songwriter Rachel Eckroth, Indian actor Priyanka Bose, singer Priya Darshini, Never Have I Ever actor Poorna Jagannathan and others also commented.