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  • Boat heading to a wedding capsizes, at least 20 dead

    Boat heading to a wedding capsizes, at least 20 dead

    On Monday, a boat capsized in the Indus River, killing at least 20 people while around 30 people are still missing. The boat was carrying passengers to a wedding.

    The boat was heavily loaded at the time of the incident as it was carrying more than a 100 people. Police officer Mohammad Hammad told AFP that “most of the drowned appear to be women” as most of the men knew how to swim while the women did not.

    “We’re not sure how many people exactly were on the boat. We’re getting the estimates just on the basis of the family members’ accounts,” local government official Aslam Tasleem told Geo News.

    According to the government’s announcement, over 35 divers from a state-run rescue organisation took part in an effort to find and rescue the passengers.

    Prime Minister (PM) Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has also expressed his grief after the loss of lives in the incident.

  • PML-N decides not to hold early elections

    PML-N decides not to hold early elections

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has decided not to hold early general elections in the country and to complete its constitutional term, reports Geo News.

    In a meeting on Monday under the leadership of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, the PML-N’s defeat in Punjab by-polls and other political matters were discussed.

    On July 17, the ruling party suffered a heavy loss as it only managed to win four seats out of 20 while its rival party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 75 per cent (15 seats) of the Punjab constituencies.

    The decision regarding elections has been taken by the PML-N. The party is yet to discuss the matter with its coalition partners and for that, a meeting is scheduled for today (Tuesday).

    A day earlier, PTI Chairman Imran Khan addressed the nation after his party’s landslide victory in Punjab. He highlighted that the only way out of the current political crisis is free and fair elections.

  • ‘Voice-recorder found in my bedroom,’ Shireen Mazari

    ‘Voice-recorder found in my bedroom,’ Shireen Mazari

    Former Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari claimed that the staff at her Islamabad residence had discovered a “voice-recorder” in her bedroom a day earlier.

    “I was at Bani Gala yesterday when I received a call from my domestic staff that a device was found attached underneath a coffee table in my bedroom,” said Mazari.

    “The question that arises is: who installed it? That too in my bedroom. Which agency [installed this device]? We have our doubts regarding who is behind it. But I want to highlight that this is a violation of the Constitution.”

    Mazari said she initially thought the device in question was a USB. But upon further investigation, it was discovered that it was a “voice-recorder”.

    “What are they trying to find out?”

    “What more do you want to achieve? Fake cases have been lodged against us. Our mobile phones have been tapped. The law and the Constitution have been turned into a joke.”

    “But I will stand up against this and file a constitutional petition in the Islamabad High Court. They have infringed on my right to privacy and protection,” said Mazari.

    Last month, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Shahbaz Gill said that a Bani Gala staffer was caught installing a spy device in PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s bedroom.

  • Dubai retains its position as top FDI tourism destination in the world

    Dubai retains its position as top FDI tourism destination in the world

    Dubai has continued to lead the world in luring foreign direct investment (FDI) into the tourism industry in 2021.

    The emirate attracted Dh6.4 billion ($1.7 billion) in foreign direct investment (FDI) over 30 projects in the last year, placing it at the top of the list for FDI capital, projects, and job creation in the tourism sector, according to The Financial Times’ FDI Markets data.

    The Dubai FDI Monitor report, released by the Dubai Investment Development Agency, states that these new projects and investments resulted in the creation of 5,545 new jobs over the course of the year.

    “Dubai’s rank as the top FDI destination for tourism is a testament to the sector’s resilience and stability. It reaffirms the sector’s role as a key economic driver that offers international investors confidence and an exceptional opportunity for stable and sustainable returns,” Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, said on Twitter.

    As the city strives to become the most popular travel destination in the world, Dubai attracted more than 7.28 million foreign overnight visitors in 2021, an increase of 32% from the previous year.

    The goal of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, which will be created with the merger of the tourism and economy departments, is to attract 25 million visitors to the city by the year 2025.

    To streamline government organisations, keep up with quick changes, and maintain Dubai’s business and tourism sectors’ competitiveness, the merger was achieved.

    “The newly-formed department seeks to support the economic and tourism transformations taking place in the emirate. It will adopt the same competitiveness and efficiency of the private sector and work together with it on various development projects,” said Sheikh Hamdan.

    In spite of the inflationary environment, business activity in the private sector grew steadily in June, expanding at the quickest rate in three years.

    Its highest reading since June 2019, the headline seasonally adjusted S&P Global Dubai Purchasing Managers’ Index increased to 56.1 in June from 55.7 in May.

    The main engine of growth in the emirate continued to be the travel and tourism industry.

    As travel restrictions around the world continued to loosen, businesses in Dubai, the commercial and touristic centre of the Middle East, reported a noticeable increase in tourism-related business activity. This solidified Dubai’s position as a major travel hub.

    Prior to that, Dubai became the first Middle Eastern location to receive the coveted Michelin star, further solidifying its position as a top culinary and travel destination. Eleven restaurants in total received awards for outstanding dining.

  • Video: Man gropes burqa-clad woman in Islamabad

    Video: Man gropes burqa-clad woman in Islamabad

    A CCTV footage of a man forcefully groping a woman is being shared on social media. The video was posted by Twitter user Ehtesham Ali Abbasi and the incident took place in the I-10 area of Islamabad.

    In the video, a man can be seen running towards a burqa-clad woman and then groping her from behind. The woman tries pushing the man away. He later runs away.

    The Islamabad Police is currently investigating the case. The man has reportedly been traced.

    Ehtesham Ali Abbasi tweeted to the Islamabad Police that the family of the woman who was harassed is also satisfied with the police investigation.

    People on social media are requesting the Islamabad Police to arrest the culprit at the earliest.

  • PM Shehbaz urges ECP to announce ruling on PTI foreign funding case

    PM Shehbaz urges ECP to announce ruling on PTI foreign funding case

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the “long-delayed judgment” in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) foreign funding case.

    The premier took to Twitter today, urging the ECP to give the verdict in PTI’s foreign funding case, which was reserved on June 21.

    “I urge the Election Commission of Pakistan to announce the long-delayed judgment on PTI foreign funding case,” said the PM.

    The prime minister said that for long, Imran Khan has been given a free pass despite his “repeated & shameless attacks on state institutions”.

    “Impunity given to him has hurt the country,” added PM Shehbaz.

    The ECP reserved the verdict in the case nearly a month ago on June 21, following a hearing by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja.

    On Monday, PTI Chairman Imran Khan criticised the ECP for being biased and demanded CEC Sultan Raja’s resignation over his alleged favouring of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    “We have no confidence in this Chief Election Commissioner, he should resign. He conducted the Senate election, the Supreme Court allowed him to verify the Senate vote, the Election Commission and all political parties know that money runs in the secret Senate polls but this Election Commissioner did not follow it,” said Khan.

    “The biggest regret I have in the Punjab by-elections is on the Chief Election Commissioner as he has done dishonesty, there is no merit in him, it was found that typing mistake took place and four million people were shown dead. Had this happened elsewhere in the world, he would have resigned. We had eight cases with which we went to the Election Commission and it rejected them while the courts gave verdicts against it, which means the ECP deliberately gave decisions against us,” claimed Khan.

  • Pakistan Railways paying Rs35 billion pension to unverified employees annually

    Pakistan Railways paying Rs35 billion pension to unverified employees annually

    About 115,000 Pakistan Railways (PR) retired employees who have not been verified have been receiving annual pensions totaling Rs35 billion, according to research by the government-funded Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), a think tank housed within the Planning Commission.

    It revealed in a statement yesterday that between 2015 and 2020, Pakistan Railways lost Rs144 billion. A deficit of Rs44 billion in 2020, which includes Rs36 billion for the pensions of 120,000 PR employees, is included in the losses, according to Dawn.

    According to the PIDE report, the PR also received a subsidy from the government in 2020 worth Rs45 billion to make up for these losses.

    Due to the intense competition from the road transportation industry and PR’s inability to implement a customer-centric business strategy due to a complicated bureaucratic structure, the public agency has been inefficient, underfunded, and overstaffed for the past 35 years, making losses.

    The study also noted that 115,000 unverified PR retirees receive an annual pension of Rs35 billion. To solve the problem, a biometric verification system to confirm the pensioners in question has been proposed.

    A Pay and Pension Commission (PPC) has also been established in this respect, and it will take into account issues pertaining to the railways and other public organizations.

  • ‘Go where Muslims are in minority if you want more kids,’ Abdul Qadir Patel on population control

    ‘Go where Muslims are in minority if you want more kids,’ Abdul Qadir Patel on population control

    Federal Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel on Monday presented a unique suggestion to control the population of Pakistan. The health minister said that if couples want to have more children, then they should go to another country where Muslims are in a minority so that the Muslim population can also increase around the world.

    Patel said that by 2030, Pakistan’s population is expected to cross 285 million. He said it is an “alarming situation”.

    “We do not want to decrease the Muslim population. We want Muslims to be better, more educated and provide them with better healthcare facilities.”

    Qadir Patel said that he has suggested to people to go have children in countries where the Muslim population is in a minority. “We are a lot in numbers here masha’Allah.”

    The federal minister emphasised that in order to control the growing population, there needs to be more awareness about family planning.

    Qadir Patel made the remarks while addressing a seminar in Islamabad.

    The world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. According to a United Nations (UN) report, Pakistan is among eight countries where the projected increase of population is expected to be concentrated in 2050.

  • ‘England will miss him,’ Twitter is sad over Ben Stokes’ sudden ODI retirement

    ‘England will miss him,’ Twitter is sad over Ben Stokes’ sudden ODI retirement

    England cricket team all-rounder Ben Stokes announced his shocking retirement from One-Day International (ODI) cricket on Monday citing the “unsustainable” rigour of playing all three formats of the game.

    Stokes was recently appointed as the captain of the England Men’s Test side.

    Today’s (Tuesday) match against South Africa at his home ground will be Stokes’ last ODI. However, he will continue to play Twenty20 Internationals and Test cricket.

    The 31-year-old said, “This has been an incredibly tough decision to make. I have loved every minute of playing with my mates for England. Hard as this decision was to come, it’s not as hard as dealing with the fact I can’t give my teammates 100% of myself in this format anymore. The England shirt deserves nothing less from anyone who wears it.”

    Ben Stokes has not played a T20 international for 16 months. He missed the World Cup last autumn while he was taking a break from the game to prioritise his mental health.

    Following the news, cricket fans couldn’t hold themselves from expressing their sadness over Stokes’ retirement while some of his fans and fellow cricketers wished him luck.

  • Numbers: Does Hamza have a chance to be CM Punjab?

    Numbers: Does Hamza have a chance to be CM Punjab?

    The result of the Punjab by-elections has come as a shock for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its supporters while it has proved to be a ray of light for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) future in upcoming elections.

    According to the results (as of now), PML-N managed to win only four seats in its popular province. PTI swept the by-elections by bagging almost 75 per cent of Punjab constituencies (15 seats) and one independent candidate won the seat.

    It is pertinent to mention that before the by-polls, PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) jointly had the strength of 173 members. Now, with 15 additional seats, the parties have achieved 188 seats in Punjab Assembly (PA) whereas they only needed 186. One independent MPA who has won is likely to be a part of the new ruling coalition.

    On the contrary, the current ruling coalition (PML-N, PPP and others) has 179 members.

    Two MPAs of PML-N including Mian Jaleel Sharaqpuri and Faisal Niazi had resigned so their seats are vacant. MPA Chaudhry Nisar is unlikely to vote for any of the candidates

    Great voter turnout

    In this election, a great voter turnout has been noted.

    In Sahiwal, the voter turnout was almost 56 per cent. While in Khushab, the turnout was 47.84 per cent.

    In the constituency of Multan, the turnout remained at 42 per cent where former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s son Zain Hussain Qureshi won.

    In the largest city of Punjab, the lowest turnout was recorded while the highest turnout was in Bakkhar where PTI’s Irfan Ullah Niazi won.