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  • Pakistan reports zero Covid death for 5th straight day

    Pakistan reports zero Covid death for 5th straight day

    The National Institute of Health (NIH) has claimed that Pakistan has reported zero Covid-19 deaths across the country during the past 24 hours.

    The NIH officials informed that a total of 141 new cases of the viral disease were reported during 27,000 samples were tested during the past 24 hours. The nationwide tally of confirmed cases stands at 1,526,234 while the death toll is 30,361.

    The country’s positivity rate was recorded at 0.52 per cent, the NIH said, adding the number of patients in critical care in various hospitals across the country has fallen to 280.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan last month announced the withdrawal of all Covid-19 related restrictions.

  • WASA to initiate a crackdown on service stations in Lahore that waste water

    The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has taken note of the car wash facilities in Lahore that are wasting water and will penalize those responsible.

    The Managing Director (MD) of WASA, M. Tanveer summoned a meeting of key personnel, who organized units to conduct a crackdown operation. The teams would comprise officials from the operations and revenue departments who will provide the Managing Director with a daily status report.

    Tanveer called for immediate action against vehicular washing facilities that do not have a water recycling facility.

    Car wash stations will be given a warning at first and will face severe consequences if they do not install a recycling plant.

    According to a recent high court appeal, service stations consume around 200 liters of water for a small car and 300 liters for a bigger vehicle.

    WASA instructed that service stations must recycle 70 per cent of the water they use, or they will be shut down. The authority will also impose hefty fines on anyone who tosses trash into drainpipes and sewer lines in order to avoid sewage from blocking.

  • ‘Dono ke liye’: Ahad’s mother Samra Mir breaks silence on his split with Sajal Aly

    ‘Dono ke liye’: Ahad’s mother Samra Mir breaks silence on his split with Sajal Aly

    Actor Ahad Raza Mir’s mother has replied to a ‘Sahad’ fan on Instagram after the news of her son’s divorce with Sajal Aly broke out publicly.

    Sajal and Ahad’s fans were messaging Samra regarding their split and many expressed their grief on the same. Samra replied to a fan by saying that he should pray for the two of them.

    She added that, “Thank you for your love.”

    The fan shared his chat on Instagram.

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

    'Larkiyan isko cherti hain, yeh nahi': Samra Raza Mir gets candid on son Ahad in resurfaced clip

    Earlier before Ahad’s wedding, he and Samra appeared on Nida Yasir’s morning show after the success of his romantic serial with Sajal, Yaqeen Ka Safar. A few clips from this old interview are resurfacing on social media.

    On being asked by the host that how does she react when she gets complaints about him, Nida cites the example of teasing girls, to which the Sammi star quickly responds that it has never happened.

    Sajal Ali's mother-in-law Samra Raza Mir says she will be releasing a song soon

    On being asked by the host that how does she react when she gets complaints about him, Nida cites the example of teasing girls, to which the Sammi star quickly responds that it has never happened.

    Then Samra adds that its the other way round, as girls tease him and not him. She even said that it has been happening since childhood.

    Former celebrity couple of actors Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir is now legally divorced as reported by senior journalist Amna Isani. The Yaqeen Ka Safar pair parted ways after two years of marriage.

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

    Recently during the promotions of her film, Sajal indulged in an exclusive chat with The Current.

    ALSO READ: ‘Very difficult decision’: Azfar Rehman opens up on Sajal-Ahad’s divorce, Saboor Aly reacts

  • Pakistani passport fourth-worst in world, Japan, Singapore on top

    Pakistani passport fourth-worst in world, Japan, Singapore on top

    The Henley Passport Index has ranked the Pakistani passport as the fourth worst to hold in the world. It evaluates different countries on the basis of international mobility enjoyed by their holders.

    According to details, the International Passport ranking authority Henley Global has issued the passport rankings for 2022, in which Japan and Singapore top the list.

    Pakistan, with a score of 31, ranked 109 on the list. Only, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan rank lower than Pakistan on the list. Henley Global has released the ranking of 112 passports in the world in 2022.

    All the world’s passports were ranked according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

    Japan unsurprisingly, and Singapore topped the list with access to 192 destinations without a prior visa.

    It is to be noted that there are no Muslim countries in the top 10 ranking for the strongest passports in the world.

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) with access to 175 destinations is the top-ranked Muslim country on the list.

    Ukraine, despite the military conflict with Russia, sits at 34th position while Russia, after a 3 rank decline from the last year, ranks 49th with a score of 117.

    Taliban-ruled Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan ranked last on the list as its citizens can visit only 26 destinations without a prior visa.

    Henley & Partners firm’s “Henley Passport Index” has been regularly monitoring the world’s most travel-friendly passports since 2006.

  • ‘Return to April 3’: Twitter hails Supreme court’s verdict

    ‘Return to April 3’: Twitter hails Supreme court’s verdict

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has declared the National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling on the dismissal of a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan as unconstitutional and illegal.

    The session chaired by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and the five-member bench has unanimously ruled that President Dr Arif Alvi’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly is “illegal” and restored Imran Khan as Prime Minister as well as his cabinet ministers. They will now face the no-confidence motion on Saturday, April 9th 2022.

    This is how Pakistani social media reacted to the decision:

  • ‘Unconstitutional’: What else did the Supreme Court say?

    ‘Unconstitutional’: What else did the Supreme Court say?

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has declared the National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling on the dismissal of no-confidence motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan as unconstitutional and illegal.

    The session chaired by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and the five-member bench has unanimously ruled that President Dr Arif Alvi’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly is “illegal” and restored Imran Khan as Prime Minister as well as his cabinet ministers. They will now face the no-confidence motion on Saturday April 9th 2022.

    “The deputy speaker gave a ruling on April 3. Leave was granted on the no-confidence motion on March 28. The ruling of the speaker is declared unconstitutional,” Justice Bandial declared.

    Chief Justice Bandial also said the verdict was announced with an unanimous agreement of 5-0 after the judges consulted each other.

    The apex court has also ordered a lower house session to vote on no-trust against PM Khan on April 9th, 2022 [Saturday] at 10 am, saying that the session cannot be adjourned without the conclusion of the no-trust motion and the government cannot interfere in the participation of any Member of National Assembly in the assembly session.

    Ahead of the verdict, SC summoned Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja. Prior to the verdict, PM Khan called a party meeting at Banigala.

    The short order by the SC is as follows:

  • State Bank of Pakistan hikes interest rate to 12.25% in an emergency meeting

    State Bank of Pakistan hikes interest rate to 12.25% in an emergency meeting

    Following an emergency meeting, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) raised interest rates by 250 basis points, as mounting political uncertainty and rising worldwide oil prices threaten to drive the country into a full-fledged economic catastrophe.

    The key rate is now 12.25 per cent, as per the latest statement released by the central bank on Thursday. According to the report, this makes the real rate “mildly positive” and will assist maintain external and price stability.

    The judgment came a few hours before the Supreme Court was due to rule on the constitutionality of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s disputed move to dissolve parliament and hold new elections. Pakistan may find it difficult to persuade the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to grant a much-needed loan tranche due to the political limbo.

    At the recent briefing, SBP governor, Reza Baqir, said, “We thought it’s important to take decisive action”.  He added that the body does not intend to do anything else.

    The central bank claimed that intensified domestic political turmoil contributed to the rupee’s 5 per cent loss and caused a jump in local bond rates, as well as Pakistan’s Eurobond yields and Credit Default Swap (CDS) spreads. Oil prices are likely to remain elevated, and the Federal Reserve of the United States is expected to compress sooner than expected, according to the report.

    The PKR broke all records on Thursday, selling at more than Rs189 per dollar in intraday trading in the interbank market, continuing a slump that has witnessed its decline of more than 10 per cent since March 4.

    Read more: Pakistan to import 32.7 million barrels of oil to cover petroleum needs

    Pakistan’s political instability, in addition to money from the IMF, is causing delays in a planned $1 billion green bond offering. A refinancing from China is also expected; the repayment in recent weeks caused Pakistan’s foreign-exchange reserves to plummet to their lowest level since records began in 2010.

    In a meeting last month, SBP cautioned that it might convene earlier than planned to avoid a crisis. It revised its average inflation prediction for the fiscal year ending in June from 9 per cent to little more than 11 per cent.

  • Verdict on no-trust motion coming soon: Supreme Court hint towards restoration of assembly?

    Verdict on no-trust motion coming soon: Supreme Court hint towards restoration of assembly?

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) wrapped up the hearing on the ruling of National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri on the dismissal of the no-confidence motion against the interim Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Thursday (today). The court has reserved the verdict, which will be announced at 7:30pm today. The verdict has been reserved after five days of court hearings.

    On the final day of the hearing, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial (CJP) remarked that it is clear that the April 3 ruling is erroneous. “We have to look at national interest,” he said.

    CJP noted that the act is a violation of Article 95 (which is related to the vote of no-confidence against the PM in the lower house) and that the elections would cost the nation “billions of rupees”.

    Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail observed that the ruling doesn’t have Suri’s signature, it was signed by Speaker Asad Qaiser [who couldn’t preside over the session due to the submission of the no-confidence motion against him in NA].

    Justice Ijazul Ahsan said that Imran Khan took advantage of the situation and dissolved NA.

    Opposition Leader and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari appeared before the court and were called to the rostrum.

    Shehbaz said that he hoped that when the deputy speaker’s ruling was suspended, the no-confidence motion would be revived. “Let us vote for the no-confidence motion”, the Opposition Leader added.

    Justice Mandokhail inquired that if the Opposition wanted to conduct elections from day one, what was the issue now. To this, Shehbaz pointed out that the problem concerns the breaking of the Constitution. Justice Mandokhail replied: “We will repair the Constitution.”

    Attorney-General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan, who was also present before SC argued that the case is over since April 3, the same deputy speaker passed the ruling to dismiss the motion. CJP Bandial said that he wanted to hear from the AGP on the main issue, which is the dissolution of NA.

    AGP further said that he isn’t defending the speaker’s ruling. “My concern, for now, is the new elections.”

    Since the controversial ruling of the deputy speaker, the matter is in the apex court.

    On March 27, Imran Khan accused the United States (US) of interfering in Pakistan’s politics and plotting to oust him through a no-confidence motion in the NA. In a public gathering, he also brandished a ‘threat letter’ [which he claimed was from the US].

    Following this, based on this ‘threat letter’, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri rejected the no-trust motion against the PM on April 3. Later, acting on the PM’s advice, President Arif Alvi dissolved the lower house.

    This has plunged Pakistan into a constitutional crisis.

  • Indian TV reporter gets furious on ‘Urdu description’ on product packaging; Staff angrily responds

    Indian TV reporter gets furious on ‘Urdu description’ on product packaging; Staff angrily responds

    An Indian TV reporter got into a heated argument with the Indian food manufacturing company, Haldiram’s manager. The argument started when the reporter argued about Urdu’s description on one of its product packaging. The whole incident happened in the presence of police.

    In reality, the instructions were written in Arabic and English languages on the “Falhari Mixture” product packaging. However, the reporter from ‘Sudarshan News’ claimed the instructions are written in the Urdu language over which she started war of words with the manager.

    She kept asking the manager the same question, ” What lies are you disseminating in public or concealing by writing Urdu instructions?” The manager retaliated by saying, “Do whatever you want because these kinds of tantrums Halidram won’t entertain at all.”

    The reporter repeatedly asked, “Why have you written this (instructions) in Urdu? “Does it includes animal oil?”

    The outlet Manager replied bluntly, “Ma’am if you want to have it, you can have it. If you don’t want to have it, you can leave it here and go.” During the argument, she also questioned the reporter, “if people from three communities in India come to the outlet, who may know three languages- English, Hindi, Urdu. I have given these prescriptions for them then why she (the reporter) was stubborn on reading only the Urdu prescription. “Aap ko Urdu hi Kyun padhni hain, ma’am? English aur Hindi bhi hain wahan pe aap ke liye( there is English and Hindi for you as well.”

    This clip has widespread across social media and received backlash from various netizens and Indian journalists.

    One user asked this TV reporter, “Here is some Urdu text. Will this reporter go to the Railways and ask what it is about.”

    Another user sarcastically asked to boycott the Indian currency too as Urdu script is written on the note.

    Indian Journalist, Rana Ayyub highlighted the smear campaign against the Muslim community by the Indian Central government and TV channels.

    Another Journalist, Alishan Jafri appreciated the behaviour of Haldiram’s staff who confidently stood by the stance in favour of ‘Urdu description’ without giving any explanation.

    Haldiram’s products are exported to various Muslim countries including United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey. It is very common to write the Arabic language to facilitate customers living there.

  • What do the legal experts have to say about the expected SC verdict?

    What do the legal experts have to say about the expected SC verdict?

    All eyes are on the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) as the country waits for the verdict of the dismissal of the no-confidence motion tabled against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan by National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri. Pakistan is in a state of political chaos as the no-confidence motion against Khan was dismissed abruptly on Sunday, April 3.

    Supreme Court will announce its verdict on Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling at 7:30pm today.

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday said that it was clear that the April 3 ruling of Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri was “incorrect”.

    Here is what legal experts have to say about the expected verdict.

    Ahsan Bhoon, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) said, “I am hopeful that the SCP will give its verdict in accordance with the constitution,” adding, “It is important to emphasise the need for an election order while maintaining the dissolution order of the Assembly.”

    SC lawyer Feisal Naqvi wrote in his op-ed in The News titled, ‘Destroying democracy from within‘: ” If today, the entire opposition can be disenfranchised on the basis of one man’s suspicions of treason, then tomorrow the entire opposition can be disenfranchised on the basis of different suspicions. No parliamentary system can work in such manner.”

    Lawyer Salaar Khan tweeted, “If the SC decides to return proceedings to the original position, the vote of no-confidence proceeds. If it fails, Imran Khan stays PM. If it succeeds, the next PM can be elected immediately thereafter. In either case, we have a stable government.”

    However, Salaar also wrote, “Mixed signals coming in from the SC. On the one hand, it has indicated that it believes the Speaker/Deputy Speaker’s ruling to be illegal. On the other, terms like ‘public interest’ and ‘stability’ suggest that we may be veering close to Necessity.”

    SC lawyer Salahuddin Ahmed tweeted, “Real mistake of SC was in not constituting a full court or larger bench of 5/7 senior-most judges. In a polarised political atmosphere; they will be lambasted whatever they decide.”

    PM Khan on March 27 claimed that the Opposition’s no-trust move is part of an alleged “foreign-funded conspiracy” hatched against his government. It is pertinent to mention here that the Opposition tabled the no-confidence motion against PM Khan on March 8. The government claims to have received the threatening communique on March 7.

    Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri on April 3 said that the no-confidence motion, presented on March 8, should be according to the law and the Constitution. “No foreign power shall be allowed to topple an elected government through a conspiracy,” he said, adding that the points raised by the minister were “valid”.