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  • Failed to qualify: Pakistani swimmers, shooters couldn’t make it to the finals

    Failed to qualify: Pakistani swimmers, shooters couldn’t make it to the finals

    The Olympics looks grim for Pakistan as four contestants don’t make it to the finals.

    Pakistani swimmer Jehanara Nabi finished 26th out of 30th in the 200m freestyle heat at the Paris Olympics 2024. Nabi did not manage to break through in the top 16. Swimmer Ahmed Durrani finished last in the 200m freestyle heats and missed the semifinals.

    Earlier, Pakistani shooters Gulfam Joseph and Kishmala Talat failed to qualify for the finals in the 10m air pistol event.

    In the Olympics, Australia is leading the race for medals at the Paris Olympics, winning three gold and two silver medals to take the top spot with five medals. Kangaroos won one gold medal in cycling and two in swimming.

    China is in second place, winning three gold and one silver medal, while Korea is in third place with five medals, winning two gold, two silver, and one bronze.

    All eyes are on javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem now who might take Pakistan forward for a win. He will compete on August 6.

  • Petroleum minister confirms gas prices will remain unchanged, highlights falling inflation

    Petroleum minister confirms gas prices will remain unchanged, highlights falling inflation

    In a recent press conference, Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik announced that the federal government has decided to keep gas tariffs unchanged. He confirmed that consumers will not experience any increase in gas prices.

    Malik highlighted that the government’s economic policies are beginning to yield positive results. He reported a substantial reduction in food inflation, which has decreased from 48 per cent to just 2 per cent.

    Overall inflation has also dropped significantly, falling from 38 per cent to 12 per cent, with a continued downward trend anticipated. Malik stated that all economic indicators suggest the country is moving towards greater stability.

    The minister emphasised that the government’s primary objectives are to alleviate poverty, control inflation, and create job opportunities for the youth. He revealed that Prime Minister allocated Rs600 billion in the current federal budget to support the underprivileged.

    Development projects are being prioritised, particularly in underserved areas, to generate local employment. Additionally, Rs50 billion has been earmarked to protect 86 per cent of electricity consumers for the upcoming three months.

    Malik reiterated the government’s commitment to providing further relief to the public by enhancing healthcare facilities, digitising the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and pursuing the privatisation of state-owned enterprises.

    Criticising the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) administration, Malik accused them of distributing $4 billion to the wealthiest individuals during their tenure. He also addressed the issue of terrorism, asserting that while the government is working to combat it, opposition parties are criticising these efforts.

    The minister expressed disappointment with the opposition’s approach, which he described as destructive and confrontational. He specifically criticised the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) for its negative campaign against state institutions and its focus on sit-ins without offering viable solutions.

    Furthermore, Malik accused PTI leaders of inconsistency, recalling that they previously claimed their government was overthrown by the US, yet they are now seeking assistance from the same country.

  • Reducing financial burden on low-income groups remains top priority for govt: Aurangzeb

    Reducing financial burden on low-income groups remains top priority for govt: Aurangzeb

    Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said Sunday that the government is taking robust measures to improve the country’s economy.

    Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he said reforms are being done in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to increase revenue collection.

    He said weekly meetings are being held under the chair of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He said that putting less burden on the lower-income class is the government’s top priority.

    Expressing gratitude to the Chief Ministers of all four provinces for supporting the government’s tax reforms agenda, he expressed hope that they will introduce tax legislation for the inclusion of the Agricultural sector in the taxation regime.

    He said without including the untaxed and under-taxed community in the tax regime, we cannot achieve certainty and ease of collection which is vital for economic stability.

    Regarding facilitation to the business community, Aurangzeb said claims worth 68 billion rupees have so far been now refunded.

    The Minister said notices will be sent through a centralized system, while field formations will be authorized to collect taxes accordingly.

    Mentioning the details of tax evasions and frauds, he said we have identified a tax potential worth 600 billion rupees that was not collected, out of which one billion rupees has been recovered so far.

    In customs, through misclassification, tax worth around 50 to 200 billion rupees has been identified.

    He urged the media to start a campaign against the under-tax and un-taxed community.

    The Minister said the government is also working on the simplification of the tax processes to facilitate the business and salaried persons.

    Through this simplified process, they will be able to respond to our system in a very simple and easy manner without the involvement of any tax consultant.

    Stressing the importance of rightsizing, the Minister said five ministries, including Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, SAFRON, Industries and Production, IT and Telecom, and Health have been short-listed in this regard.

    He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will take the final decision to this effect, he said.

  • Video: Shahrukh Khan scored fastest fifty in Tamil Nadu Premier League

    Video: Shahrukh Khan scored fastest fifty in Tamil Nadu Premier League

    In Tamil Nadu Premier League 2024, Lyca Kovai Kings captain Shahrukh set a record by scoring 50 off 17 balls.

    Chasing a target of 172 runs, Shahrukh came in to bat in the 13th over of the innings and hit two consecutive sixes in the 15th over.

    In the 17th over, he hit the bowler Harish Kumar for a boundary and two towering sixes and completed his aggressive half-century in 17 balls.

    However, the situation became interesting when they lost three wickets in four balls, and captain Shahrukh was also out. At that time, the team score was 168 runs in 18 overs, and eight players were out.

    Thanks to a four on the last ball of the last over, Shah Rukh’s team won this sensational match.

  • Assault incident against PML-N worker by a PTI worker turns out to be fake

    Assault incident against PML-N worker by a PTI worker turns out to be fake

    In a new twist to the story, the assault against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) worker by a Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker, Aneela Riaz, turned out to be fake as it allegedly pre-planned, Geo News reported.

    According to police sources, Tahir Anjum and Anila Riaz, aka Neeli Pari, had a telephone conversation before the incident, and she also went to Anjum’s house.

    Both have, to the police, confessed that the entire incident was pre-planned. Interestingly, she was present at Tahir Anjum’s house at the time of her arrest.

    Earlier, videos emerged on social media in which Neeli Pari was seen assaulting Anjum by stopping his car and even tearing his clothes outside the Punjab Assembly.

  • Govt may withdraw free electricity, petrol benefits for officials to reduce financial pressure

    Govt may withdraw free electricity, petrol benefits for officials to reduce financial pressure

    The government is considering ending free electricity for officials, including bureaucrats, judges, and parliamentarians, to relieve the financial pressure on Pakistan’s struggling power sector.

    This move is part of a broader emergency plan being developed by the federal government to address severe financial challenges and prevent a potential default.

    The proposed plan could also involve removing free petrol benefits in the future. Given the country’s significant external debt and financial strain, these measures are seen as necessary for stabilising the economy.

     The plan includes providing electricity only to essential industries and businesses, and it also proposes reducing Maximum Demand Indicator (MDI) charges for factories.

    Additionally, there may be a review of the performance of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra).

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recently approved a $7 billion bailout for Pakistan but has raised concerns about high power theft and distribution losses, which contribute to the sector’s debt problems.

    Power Minister Awaiz Leghari has stated that the government is working to cut “circular debt”—liabilities from subsidies and unpaid bills—by Rs100 billion annually through structural reforms

    The power sector’s issues with theft and losses have led to increased debt and affected both poor and middle-class households. To meet IMF requirements, the government has raised power tariffs, which, despite record summer temperatures, has reduced household electricity consumption.

    In December 2023, the government stopped providing free electricity to officers in Grade 17 and above in power generation, distribution, and management companies. These officers received a pay raise to compensate for the loss of this benefit.

    This decision, made by the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) on October 26, 2023, was later approved by the federal cabinet.

    Overall, the government’s potential actions aim to address the financial crisis in the power sector and ensure fiscal stability amidst ongoing economic pressures.

  • JPMorgan warns of temporary PKR depreciation despite strong economic conditions

    JPMorgan warns of temporary PKR depreciation despite strong economic conditions

    Despite a robust Balance of Payments (BoP) position, Pakistan may experience a depreciation of the Pakistani rupee (PKR) in the near term due to the finalisation of outstanding dividend payments, according to a recent report from JPMorgan analysts.

    The report suggests that while the PKR is not perceived as overly expensive, analysts are anticipating more favourable foreign exchange (FX) entry points.

    They also noted that although the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has declared the removal of all FX restrictions, there could still be informal barriers affecting the repatriation of dividends.

    Should these informal restrictions be fully addressed at the commencement of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), it might lead to a moderate increase in the USD/PKR exchange rate over the coming months. However, analysts expect any such increase to be short-lived due to positive BoP conditions.

    The current environment is seen as a promising opportunity for bullish trades in T-bills and bonds, especially with the anticipated large-scale interest rate cuts by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

    Since the beginning of the year, the PKR’s Nominal Effective Exchange Rate (NEER) has strengthened, reflecting improvements in the BoP, such as higher export revenues, stable remittance flows, and a gradual return of financial inflows.

    Although some concerns persist over foreign currency restrictions that might have artificially dampened FX volatility, the IMF’s latest report from May confirms the removal of remaining FX controls as of late January. This has resulted in a stable PKR with no significant premium in the informal or parallel market.

    Moreover, the import bill has increased only gradually, indicating limited pent-up demand. While the Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) shows signs of potential overvaluation, it remains far from historical extremes and is expected to adjust downwards as inflation moderates.

    Overall, JPMorgan believes that any negative FX adjustments are likely to be minor, provided there is no significant worsening of the current account balance.

  • Sanam Saeed is a fan of Mahira, Fawad pairing

    Sanam Saeed is a fan of Mahira, Fawad pairing

    Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan, celebrated for their brilliant chemistry in Humsafar, have legions of fans, including Sanam Saeed.
    The talented actress who is reuniting with Fawad Khan after 12 years in the Zee web series Barzakh, told BBC Asian Network, that the Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan jori creates magic on screen.

    “Unlike Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan’s pairing, when I appear on screen with Fawad, people do not feel the same magic, and our pairing does not look as good.”
    While talking about coming together the superstar after more than a decade, she commented, “I myself cannot believe that Fawad Khan and I are working together on screen again after 12 years. But I think fans will be shocked to see us together on screen again after so many years.”

    Talking about different roles, Sanam that as an actor she has to play all kinds of roles. “Viewers should also see me as an actor and understand that I can’t appear in romantic roles every time.”

    The Barzakh actress also said, “Both Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan are beautiful and cute, so their pair looks good. However, Fawad Khan’s interaction with them can be different. It is not necessary that they always appear as a pair.”
    Fawad and Sanam’s last project together was Zindagi Gulzar Hai, which aired on HUMTV in 2012 and was written by Umera Ahmed.

    Bazarkh was released on the ZEE5 YouTube channel. The web series is directed and written by Asim Abbasi.

  • Is Amar Khan getting married soon?

    Is Amar Khan getting married soon?

    It seems that our public’s weird obsession with getting celebrities married off has not ended. At a recent event, famous actress Amar Khan was asked about her marriage plans. The exasperated star replied that she will get married when the right time comes up.

    “This is not something anyone can predict, but [I’ll get married] whenever it is the right time,” she told a reporter.

    When asked if she would ever propose to someone she likes, the ‘Baddua’ actress said it’s important that the other person feels the same way. “It is not about who I like, but it’s important that the other person has similar feelings for me, so I would like to give this opportunity to that individual,” she said.

    Amar also shared that she has received many proposals. She believes in fate and destiny and thinks everyone eventually finds the right person they are meant to be with.

    Talking about the qualities she wants in her future partner, Khan said, “Respect is the most important factor in any relationship. Compatibility, a good sense of humor, and other characteristics are nice, but I believe respect tops all of that. When partners have respect for each other, it gets easier to spend a good life together.”

  • Suspects in Hafizabad gang-rape case arrested

    Suspects in Hafizabad gang-rape case arrested

    The Hafizabad police claim to have arrested five suspects in the gang rape of a woman.

    Dawn reports that the police arrested the suspects during raids carried out in the district and a few other cities and shifted them to the Sukheke police station for interrogation.

    Police claimed that most arrests came in the light of information obtained from the one robber who was caught by the police soon after the rape with the help of geofencing.

    Dawn’s sources reveal that the police also picked up some relatives of the main suspect in order to exert pressure on them to surrender themselves to the police.

    A woman was allegedly gang-raped in front of her husband and three-year-old daughter in Hafizabad while they were going back to their home city, Chiniot, on a motorbike.

    One of the three robbers was arrested shortly after the incident and police teams were assigned the task to trace and arrest the rest of the robbers.

    Read more: Woman gang-raped in front of family while police argued over jurisdiction