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  • IHC rejects plea against issuance of diplomatic passport to Nawaz Sharif

    IHC rejects plea against issuance of diplomatic passport to Nawaz Sharif

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed a plea against issuance of a diplomatic passport to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif by the incumbent government.

    According to ARY News, the IHC reserved its verdict on the petition earlier in the day and said that it could not decide on the matters without having any evidence of it. The court said that the petitioner could not provide any notification to prove his point.

    The court rejected the plea and also imposed a fine of Rs5,000 against the petitioner. “It is mandatory for an absconding convict to surrender himself to jail authorities,” the court said in its verdict.

    On April 15, a petition was filed in the IHC by Naeem Haider who asked the court to ensure arrest of Nawaz Sharif upon his return to Pakistan. “Nawaz Sharif is an absconding convict and therefore authorities should be barred from issuing diplomatic passport to him,” it said.

    The petitioner while making Nawaz Sharif, secretary interior and foreign affairs’ secretary as respondents in the case asked the Islamabad High Court to take up the matter today and issue arrest warrants for the PML-N supremo.

    The registrar IHC admitted the petition and formed a bench for the hearing to be headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed the interior ministry to issue a diplomatic passport to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

    However, the diplomatic staff said only Nawaz Sharif can be issued a diplomatic passport, not Ishaq Dar, on which PM Shehbaz Sharif directed to issue a normal Pakistani passport to Dar.

  • PTI rejects PM Shehbaz letter of regional peace, security to Modi

    PTI rejects PM Shehbaz letter of regional peace, security to Modi

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has written a letter in response to Indian PM Narendra Modi’s letter. In his letter, Modi had expressed his desire for developing constructive relations with Pakistan.

    “Reciprocating your sentiments, I wish to convey that Pakistan remains committed to the maintenance of regional peace and security. Our sacrifices and contributions in fighting and eliminating terrorism are well known and globally acknowledged,” wrote PM Shehbaz.

    PM Shehbaz added that peaceful and cooperative ties between Pakistan and India are “imperative for the progress and socio-economic uplift of the people of the two countries as well as for the region”.

    “This can be best achieved through meaningful engagement and peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, including the core issue of Jammu & Kashmir,” wrote PM Shehbaz. “Let’s secure peace and work for the progress and prosperity of our people.”

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry criticised Shehbaz Sharif’s letter to Modi.

    “We reject this letter. We will not let imported government to bargain away Kashmir. Until and unless Modi restores Kashmir’s status, any offer to talk will tantamount to betraying the people of Kashmir.”

  • Pakistan extends time for transportation of Indian wheat, medicines to Afghanistan

    Pakistan extends time for transportation of Indian wheat, medicines to Afghanistan

    The Pakistani government extended by two months the time for transportation of Indian wheat and lifesaving medicines to Afghanistan on a humanitarian basis through Attari-Wagah border crossing.

    According to Dawn News, in a statement the Foreign Office spokesperson said that the extension manifests Islamabad’s sincere efforts towards addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

    The Indian government recently sought an extension in the time period to complete the transportation process.

    In November 2021, the Pakistani government had allowed transportation of 50,000 MTs of wheat and life-saving medicines as humanitarian assistance from India to Afghanistan via Wagah border on exceptional basis for humanitarian purposes.

    The time period granted for transportation of the humanitarian assistance expired on March 21.

    All the modalities will remain the same as earlier communicated to the Indian side. The Indian High Commission in Islamabad has been informed of the decision in this regard.

  • PM Shehbaz kicks off New Islamabad International Airport Metro Bus Service

    PM Shehbaz kicks off New Islamabad International Airport Metro Bus Service

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has inaugurated Metro Bus Service from Peshawar Morr to New Islamabad International Airport today [Monday]. Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Mustafa Yurdakul, Chinese Chargé d’affaires Pang Chunxue, and a number of Parliamentarians attended the inauguration ceremony.

    Speaking at the inauguration, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the metro bus project as a gift from PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif for the residents of the federal capital, adding that the project was started in 2017 and was made functional in a record time one year in 2018.

    “But after the government changed, like other projects, this project was also delayed,” said the prime minister while addressing the ceremony. The thing that was not present was the government’s will to work and serve the masses,” he added.

    After assuming the office of Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif had directed for resumption of work on the project and its completion on a war footing.

    The bus service will provide international standard travel facilities to thousands of passengers on a daily basis. Later, the Metro Bus Service route will be extended to Rawat.

  • Hyundai Pakistan launches another variant of obsolete Elantra

    Hyundai Pakistan launches another variant of obsolete Elantra

    Hyundai-Nishat has introduced the long-awaited Elantra GL 1.6, with a hefty price tag of Rs4.3 million for the ‘base trim’.

    This model was predicted to compete with the Altis X 1.6, but Rs4.3 million for a base model does not seem to attract much for a car that already existed.

    The ‘latest sedan’ is now available for bookings at Hyundai dealerships for Rs1.2 million. In terms of appearance, the new Elantra GL is identical to the GLS model. The majority of the changes have occurred on the inside.

    GL’s naturally aspirated 1.6-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine produces 127 horsepower (hp) and 155 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque in the new model. It has a 6-speed automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.

    The Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6L, which is priced between Rs3.92 million and Rs4.3 million, will be the Hyundai Elantra GL’s main rival which comes with a 4-year or 100,00 km warranty. Hyundai, as a newcomer to Pakistan’s automarket, appears to be up against a formidable opponent: Toyota Indus, which has been selling automobiles for decades and is known for its sturdiness.

    Read more: Toyota to launch its first electric car with 559 km range next month

    It is too early to comment on its performance at the moment, as its fate will be revealed in the near future when Pakistan Automotive Manufacturer’s Association releases the monthly sales data.

  • PPP to get 11 ministries, PML-N 14 in federal cabinet: Rana Sanaullah

    PPP to get 11 ministries, PML-N 14 in federal cabinet: Rana Sanaullah

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will get 14 ministries, while Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will get 11 ministries. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is all set to become the Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Hina Rabbani Khar will most likely be the Minister of State in the Foreign Ministry.

    PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah told Geo News‘ anchorperson Shahzad Iqbal on “Naya Pakistan” that the Finance Ministry, Interior Ministry, Defence Ministry, Planning Ministry, Ministry of Energy and Information Ministry will remain with PML-N. Commerce Ministry and Communications Ministry will go to PPP and PML-N while MQM and PPP will get Maritime Ministry and Overseas Ministry. Marriyum Aurangzeb will most likely get Information Ministry as per media reports. Rana Sana said that these decisions have been taken after a joint committee of all allied parties finalised the formation of the new cabinet.

    According to The News, Asif Zardari advised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to give cabinet posts to all coalition partners in the first phase and the PPP would join the cabinet in the second phase. It is expected that the first phase of the cabinet will take oath today (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday). In the first phase, 10 to 12 ministers will take the oath.

    Last week, PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari had hinted that the PPP may not join the federal cabinet.

    “I don’t think we are taking any ministries. We want to first accommodate our friends,” said Zardari, talking about government’s other coalition partners.

    On Friday, PPP’s Raja Pervez Ashraf was elected Speaker of the National Assembly unopposed.

  • ‘Bibi channel apne naam karwana hai?’: Muneeb Butt lashes out at Gharida Farooqi for controversial tweet on Imran Khan

    ‘Bibi channel apne naam karwana hai?’: Muneeb Butt lashes out at Gharida Farooqi for controversial tweet on Imran Khan

    Actor Muneeb Butt has taken a jibe at senior journalist Gharida Farooqi, for stating her stance on Imran Khan’s Karachi Jalsa (gathering).

    Gharida took to her twitter handle and shared the video of PTI’s Karachi jalsa, See for yourself Jinnah Garden is completely empty. There is more crowd around the stage. In a city of more than 20 million, 20,000 to 25,000 people attended the rally. Agency reports have arrived. Video of Imran Khan present in the hall. The closer you get to the stage, the better the impression.”

    You can get exclusive details in our new show, Maslay Aur Masala:

    Earlier the Daldal star took to his social media handles to condemn PML-N and its leaders who are the front runners to form a government after Imran Khan’s ouster.

    The Baandi hero stated that imported government is unacceptable to him adding the hashtag of, #BeggarsCantBeLeaders.

    After the Supreme Court verdict, the Daldal actor stated that now even the public’s legs are shivering, whereas his wife Aiman termed Imran as the true leader.

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is WhatsApp-Image-2022-04-10-at-9.22.41-PM-1.jpeg
    Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif. Photo: AFP

    When the Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif clarified his statement “Beggars can not be choosers”, which he gave in an interview with a private TV channel on Friday. He said that true freedom can never be achieved without financial independence.

    He added that unfortunately, Pakistan is not economically independent, our country is surviving on loans from foreign agencies.

    The Baddua star who is PTI supporter took to his Instagram handle to slam Shahbaz Sharif with the hashtag of #BeggarsCantBeChoosers.

    Recently Butt lashed out on Reham Khan for her latest tweet about actors supporting Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    Writer and former journalist, Reham took a dig at celebrities who are supporting Imran Khan amidst the No-motion battle. The Baddua star was quick to hit back at her by saying that when she produced the Hania Aamir starrer Janaan, she took advantage of being Imran’s wife.

  • Man murders wife for adding too much salt in his food

    Man murders wife for adding too much salt in his food

    Trigger Warning

    In a horrifying incident, a man in India’s Maharashtra allegedly killed his 40-year-old wife by strangulating her in a fit of rage after she added excessive salt to the khichrri that she served him for breakfast, reports India.com.

    The man has been identified as 46-year-old Nilesh Ghagh. According to the police, the accused strangulated his wife using a long piece of cloth.

    After being alerted, the police reached the spot and sent the woman’s body for post-mortem to a local government hospital.

    The police have registered a case against the accused under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

    According to the publication, a similar incident had taken place last week when a man shot his daughter-in-law dead after she failed to serve him breakfast along with tea.

  • Lahore continues to face gas and power outage in Ramzan

    Lahore continues to face gas and power outage in Ramzan

    People in several localities of Lahore have complained of substantial pressure reduction as well as unannounced power cuts, bringing the natural gas and power shortages back in the holy month of Ramzan.

    On Friday, customers reported that natural gas load shedding had resumed in the city, making cooking at home difficult. Natural gas pressure only improved to a limited extent during Sehri and Iftari hours due to micromanagement by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL).

    As per the gas load management plan, gas supply to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling stations has been a concern in the country, which has yet to be updated to accommodate this sector.

    Shortages, according to experts, are due to a gap in the import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) shipments. After long-term sellers were unable to deliver, the government attempted to negotiate cargoes of spot LNG as a backup plan. Such attempts, however, have yet to show positive outcomes. The same goes for power load shedding.

    Read more: Another hike of Rs4.9 per unit approved in power tariff

    Gas disruptions and load shedding have become the norm, according to residents. Affected locations include Canal Bank Housing Scheme, Bedian Road, Taj Bagh, Mughalpura, Saddar, Johar Town, and many more Lahore neighbourhoods.

  • Tofay hi tofay: What did Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi keep from the state gift list?

    Tofay hi tofay: What did Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi keep from the state gift list?

    An investigation by news organisation Fact Focus reveals that former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi kept all 112 presents worth Rs142.02 million from the Tosha Khana of Pakistan.

    The former PM and his wife Bushra Bibi have retained everything that was gifted to them by different states. The gifts include luxurious Rolex watches, gold and diamond jewellery, cufflinks worth millions, expensive dinner sets and perfumes. Not only that, they also kept a book worth Rs. 500, a tablemat, a samsonite bag and even a tasbih.

    The most expensive gift was a Graff watch worth Rs 85 million (Eight crore and fifty lac rupees), gifted to PM Khan by Saudi crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman when he visited Saudi Arabia on September 18, 2018. Instead of giving it the Tosha Khana, which is what every prime minister and his family is bound to do, Khan sold the watch in Dubai, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Khan also declared tax returns on the watch when filing his taxes in 2020-21. He apparently paid Rs. 20 million (2 crore), which was 20 percent of the estimated value, according to his tax returns.

    List of some of the gifts:

    • One pair of cufflinks worth Rs. 5,670,000.
    • Five Rolex watches
    • A table mat of Rs. 30,000
    • Wall hanging worth Rs. 15,000
    • One locket with chain (Gold+Diamond) worth Rs. 269,350
    • Carpet worth Rs. 22,000

    In his returns for the financial years 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21, Imran Khan did not mention any of the Tosha Khana presents that were kept. Bushra Bibi, Khan’s wife, did not file a tax return at this time. Bushra Bibi, in reality, has never submitted a tax return in her life and was just registered with the Pakistani tax authorities in July 2021.

    A few days ago, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry that, Kya jurm huva agar gharri baich di’, admitting that Khan had sold the gifts.

    DISCLAIMER: The pictures used are for pictorial representation only and do not represent what the actual items might have been.

    Other gifts include: