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  • Slugfest in parliament as Bilawal says ‘Imran owes his career to an ISI chief’

    Slugfest in parliament as Bilawal says ‘Imran owes his career to an ISI chief’

    The session of the Lower House was marred by verbal duels as lawmakers belonging to both the treasury and opposition benches trained guns at each other where they were supposed to debate rising inflation — especially the skyrocketing prices of food items amid the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s apparent inability to control the same.

    According to The Express Tribune, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif on Tuesday led the opposition’s onslaught against the government in the National Assembly, but it was Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari who stole the spotlight with his remarks against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, drawing a strong reaction from the treasury benches.

    Calling the premier “incompetent, incapable and selected”, Bilawal asked him to step down in the country’s best interest. “People are suffering due to inflation and unemployment. This government has sunk a fledgeling economy it had inherited from its predecessors… unemployment and poverty are at their highest level,” he said.

    Presenting economic statistics, Bilawal said that inflation during the past 18 months had surpassed the figure recorded in the past 10 years, and went on to claim that the prices of food items had increased by 78 per cent.

    “On top of this, the government has increased gas and power tariffs, and fuel prices,” he said. “We cannot sit idle when the people are suffering,” added Bilawal, who has already announced plans to launch a movement to oust the government.

    Also, criticisng the government for its deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he said it was poorly negotiated those “who had compromised on the rights of the people of Pakistan”.

    “Now… we will not ask him [PM Imran] to commit suicide, but at least for the sake of the people, he must accept his mistakes and resign so that the masses could be provided relief. He must acknowledge that he is incompetent and incapable,” Bilawal said in another dig at the premier.

    “When you have a selected government, then there is no regard for the people’s suffering,” Bilawal said, alleging that Imran’s entire career “could be credited to a chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) — Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency”.

    With Bilawal’s comments not going down well with Speaker Asad Qaiser, the latter said Imran was the PM and Bilawal could not speak of him in this manner. He reprimanded Bilawal and ordered the remarks be expunged from proceedings of the house.

    Communications Minister Murad Saeed, who is known for his aggressive speeches on the floor of the house, responded to Bilawal’s speech by launching a counterattack on the PPP chairperson. “How can someone who was handed his political career in his mother’s will, call the PM as ‘selected’,” he said.

    He asked how an “accidental chairman” could teach politics to them [PTI leaders] and told the lawmakers that he was the son of a labourer who owned no properties and that he was not a slave to anyone. “I challenge [Asif Ali] Zardari’s son to pick any constituency, I will contest elections against him.”

    Speaking next, Abdul Qadir Patel criticised Saeed’s taunts at the PPP chief, besides calling out the government for its “flawed” policies. “The common man is facing hardships in running day to day matters,” he said.

  • Hira Mani asks why Kareena Kapoor was sent to this world

    Hira Mani is known to be straight-forward and unfiltered. She doesn’t shy away from sharing her thoughts or expressing herself.

    In a recent Instagram post, Hira shared a picture of Kareena Kapoor Khan, admiring her beauty and referring to her as a “gift.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B8diI_UnSsZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    The picture of Kareena was from the post-wedding party of cousin Armaan Jain for which the Bollywood actor had donned a silvery grey Manish Malhotra lehenga. She accessorised her pastel lehenga with bold red jewellery and minimal makeup and looked absolutely glamorous.

  • Conviction: Hafiz Saeed sentenced to jail for terror-financing

    Conviction: Hafiz Saeed sentenced to jail for terror-financing

    An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Wednesday convicted banned Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed in two terror-financing cases, sentencing him to jail for five years and six months, besides reportedly imposing a fine of Rs15,000 in each case.

    The court that convicted Saeed under sections 11-F (2) and 11-N of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), had reserved its verdict in the two cases on February 6.

    On Tuesday, the court had accepted a plea of Hafiz Saeed, chief of the banned Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), to club all six terror financing cases against him and his associates and announce the verdict on completion of the trial.

    The court had indicted the JuD chief and three of his associates – Hafiz Abdul Salam bin Mohammad, Mohammad Ashraf and Prof Zafar Iqbal – on terror financing charges on December 11 last year in a case filed by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). Saeed and Prof Zafar Iqbal were later indicted in a similar case on December 20. The cases were filed by CTD Lahore and Gujranwala chapters.

    The ATC on Saturday last week had deferred announcing its verdict in the terror financing cases and decided to hear arguments on February 11 on the suspects’ application to hear all cases first before reserving its judgment.

    The application, filed by the petitioners’ counsel, requested that collective verdicts be issued after the completion of trials in all the cases pending against them.

    The petition also prayed the court to quash the false First Information Report (FIR) registered against the JuD chief. According to Deputy Prosecutor General Abdul Rauf Wattoo, in total six cases against the said individuals were pending before the same court, and in four of these cases, presentation of evidence was in progress.

  • Why people fail in job interviews and how to fix it

    Why people fail in job interviews and how to fix it

    Interesting research shows that people fear public speaking more than death. So can you imagine how difficult it can get for an average person to speak in public, in-classroom presentations, meetings; especially when you are being judged by a good number of people?

    Yes, practice does make a person perfect, but here are a number of things that can help you overcome your fears. Undoubtedly, building confidence is the only option, but here are some tools for smoothing the process.

    Know your audience

    Understanding your employer’s needs and concerns should be the main focus of your presentation. It means you should thoroughly research the company’s portfolio for what they do and how they do it. Moreover, you should also look into people who are going to interview you. You can get this information once you are called for the interview.

    Tell a story

    An effective way to prepare for presenting yourself is to do your own SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). Then combine this analysis with your achievements. This process demands creativity but it is worthwhile. So you need to align your research with your SWOT analysis to create a persuasive story to demonstrate your potential employers that why you’re the right candidate for the job.

    Create a call to action

    Remember, always apply for the job that you really want to do, or if you have experience in the desired filed. Because once you are close to wrapping up your presentation, it is important to give a call to action (CTA). CTA is a summary of what you state in the presentation and what you plan to do for achieving the goal that the company is looking forward to achieving. It will be the last thing they will remember about you.

    Rehearse for the interview

    Effective presentations are often well-rehearsed. Get a friend or colleague to practise a mock interview with commonly asked questions. Practice will allow you to avoid mistakes during the interview. Practice introducing yourself, your storytelling style and delivering an effective CTA. This will reduce any nervousness, and make you look more confident and prepared for the big day.

    Body language

    Interviewers may already make up their minds about a candidate within the first seven seconds of the interview. You must control your body language so as to seem confident and positive.

    Control over your speech

    Presenters and public speakers need to have clear, strong and confident voices… so do candidates in an interview. Drink water before a case interview, your interviewers do not want to hear you croaking your way through the interview. Also, practice varying your speech in terms of pitch and volume. Remember, effective communication isn’t only about what you say, it’s also how you say it.

    These six presentation skills are simple and effective for any job or case interview. Learn to master these skills and you will definitely be able to land any job you desire. Always remember, if you do your research, words and confidence will come automatically.

  • Pakistan’s first manmade island to be built in Gwadar at a cost of $10 billion

    Pakistan’s first manmade island to be built in Gwadar at a cost of $10 billion

    Pakistan’s first manmade island — ‘Chaand Taara’ — will be built in Gwadar at a cost of over $10 billion. Shaped like a moon and star to represent Pakistan’s flag, it will form the cities of the Central Business District in the port city on the southwestern coast of Balochistan opposite Oman.

    According to Daily Times, located on Marine Drive and stretching towards Zero Point on the Coastal Highway, the Central Business District is to include a state-of-the-art amusement park, art and culture museum, grand theatre, concert hall, international expo centre, 5-star hotels and resorts, multiple shopping malls and waterfront walk, and a shopping promenade to name a few.

    The mega-development project that will be built around Gwadar Tower — expected to be Pakistan’s tallest building — has been detailed in the Gwadar Smart City Masterplan. The 75-page detailed report has been under development by a Chinese state-owned enterprise with assets of over $132 billion, China Communications Construction Company, and the Pakistani government as a joint-venture.

    The master plan document, prepared in conjunction with Pakistan’s Minister of Planning, Development & Reform and Gwadar Development Authority, chalks out an elaborate road map and plan on how Gwadar is to become the trade and economic hub of South Asia with a GDP per capita of $15,000 — 10 times that of Pakistan’s average.

    In line with Pakistan and China’s grand development plans for Gwadar, it will be Pakistan’s first weapon-free city. The city is being developed under the highest of international standards to be an economic hub not only for Pakistan but for the region and for this reason a robust security environment will be developed to ensure security for foreigners and expats visiting it. The security plans include the highest levels of urban security mechanisms through CCTV, vehicle management, urban video and alarm networks, and police management programmes.

    The report also quoted Balochistan Governor Amanullah Khan Yasinzai as saying that the project will be a game-changer for the people of the region.

  • REBUTTED: Gen Bajwa, ex-ISPR chief meet Sharif family in London

    A report in The News has rebutted claims regarding Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and former Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general Major General Asif Ghafoor meeting the Sharif family in London, which had earlier led to intense speculations and discussion about the ongoing political situation as well as the future of the same back in Pakistan.

    A few Twitter accounts had claimed that the army chief and Maj Gen Ghafoor were in London, holding important meetings.

    The tweets had spread like wildfire as they also claimed that the military leadership was staying in a hotel on a walking distance from Avenfield Flats — the London residence of former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and his sons Hasan and Hussain Nawaz.

    The report quoted both official and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) sources as saying that the tweets were factually wrong as neither the COAS nor the former ISPR chief was in London. Both Gen Bajwa and Maj Gen Ghafoor have not been in London for several months, in fact, the latter was in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah around the time of speculation, it added.

    Sources said that a few serving and retired military officers were in London to take part in a few seminars on security on South Asian by a leading think-tank in London and for a few official meetings, but none of the military leaders, as claimed, were in London.

    The delegation stayed in London for a week and then left for Pakistan on the weekend. A PML-N source termed it unfortunate that social media was used to spread news as if the military leadership was engaged in discussions with Nawaz or his brother and PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif, both of whom are in London.

    The PML-N source further told the English daily that Nawaz was in London for medical treatment and was not holding any talks with anyone. Shehbaz, on the other hand, has reportedly not held any meeting with anyone on Pakistani politics.

  • Ready for the most exciting phone of 2020?

    Ready for the most exciting phone of 2020?

    Samsung’s second fordable phone Galaxy Z Flip is not like its predecessors. The company unveiled this art piece with the most awaited flagship series of the Galaxy S20.

    Design and Display

    Apart from its foldability feature, Galaxy Z has unique hinge, perhaps the strongest clamshell folding device. However, it is also reported that it is a little harder to open it as compared to its predecessor (Galaxy Fold).

    Colors

    It is available for sale in Mirror Purple, Mirror Black and Mirror Gold colors. The smartphone is also launched in a Thom Browne edition, featuring the designer’s signature stripes.

    Internal features and Storage

    The smartphone is powered by Snapdragon 855+ with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. However, it does not have any storage expansion options. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip runs on One UI 2.1 based Android 10 OS.

    Cameras

    At the back, the smartphone features a dual-sensor rear camera with 12 MP regular wide sensor and a 12 MP ultra-wide sensor. On the front, it is equipped with 10 MP single sensor for selfies.

    Battery and Pricing

    It is equipped with two batteries that, when combined, total 3300 mAh. The smartphone surprisingly also supports wireless charging.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip complete specifications

    • CPU: Octa-core (2×2.3 GHz Kryo 360 Gold & 6×1.7 GHz Kryo 360 Silver)
    • GPU: Adreno 616
    • Chipset: Qualcomm SDM855+ Snapdragon 855+ (7 nm)
    • OS: Android 10.0; One UI 2.0
    • Networks: 2G, 3G, 45, LTE;
    • Display:
      • AMOLED, 6.7 inches, 2636 x 1080 pixels resolution, 22:9 aspect ratio + 1.1″, Super AMOLED, 112 x 300 pixels resolution
    • Memory:
      • RAM: 8 GB
      • Internal: 256 GB
      • Card slot: No
    • Camera:
      • Primary: 12 MP +12 MP
      • Secondary: 10 MP
    • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, USB Type-C
    • Fingerprint scanner: Side-mounted
    • Battery: 3300 mAh
    • Price: $1380

    It is still unclear that when this device will be launched in Pakistan.

  • Jahangir Tareen announces selling 20,000 tonnes of sugar for Rs67 per kg

    Jahangir Tareen announces selling 20,000 tonnes of sugar for Rs67 per kg

    As sugar prices skyrocket following a severe shortage in major parts of the country, senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and owner of JDW Sugar Mills Limited — the largest white sugar producer in the country –, Jahangir Khan Tareen, has announced to sell whopping 20,000 tonnes of the commodity for just Rs67 per kilogramme (kg).

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Tareen said that Sugar Mills Association, in a bid to control inflating prices of sugar, had decided to provide Utility Stores with 100,000 tonnes of the same at Rs70 per kg. “Out of my share, I will sell 20,000 tonnes at Rs67 per kg,” he added.

    It merits a mention that according to reports, JDW Sugar Mills Limited in January announced its financial results for the first quarter that ended on December 31, 2019, which showed that its revenue went up by 61.45% to Rs13.19 billion during the first quarter as compared to Rs8.17 billion recorded in the same period last year.

    The sugar division comprises three sugar mills units, JDW Unit-I, JDW Unit-II and JDW Unit-III in Rahim Yar Khan and Ghotki districts. It is one of the largest groups in the sugar sector and contributes approximately 15-17% of the country’s sugar production. It is also managing Sugarcane Corporate Farms over an area of 24,000 acres in Punjab and Sindh.

    While people allege that the government had a role to play in scoring Tareen these profits, as of last month, a serious case of sugar shortage emerged as the country already stumbled amid a wheat crisis.

    During the PTI government’s 15 months, sugar prices have shot up to as high as Rs64 a kilogram (kg). However, over the past week, the wholesale rate rose from Rs64 to Rs74 per kg and an acute shortage surfaced in the country. Last year, Pakistan produced 600,000 tonnes of sugar. Now, however, the wholesale rate of sugar is expected to reach Rs80 per kg, The News reported.

    Meanwhile, the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led PTI government has banned export of sugar and turned down a proposal to import the commodity in order to maintain prices in the domestic market.

  • Rs10 billion subsidy approved to control inflating food prices

    Rs10 billion subsidy approved to control inflating food prices

    To counter the effects of inflating food prices, the federal cabinet on Tuesday approved a detailed package of Rs10 billion subsidies for Utility Stores, Dawn reported.

    According to reports, the government will open thousands of stores in Pakistan, moreover, consumer items at subsidised rates will be supplied to 50,000 tandoors and dhabas.

    To address the sugar crisis in Pakistan, the cabinet meeting presided by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan also decided to lift the ban on sugar import and regulatory duty on it. Also, the cabinet in its meeting decided to establish five “free zones” along the Pak-Afghan border, where Utility Store Cooperation will set up its stores to curb smuggling.

    RATES:

    Under Rs10bn subsidy, a 20 kg bag of wheat flour will be sold for Rs800, sugar will be priced at Rs70 per kg, ghee at Rs175, pulses at Rs15 and rice will be available at Rs20 per kg at Utility Stores.

    In the meeting, the cabinet agreed that rupee devaluation against the dollar and the increase in gas and electricity tariffs were some of the reasons for the increase in food items prices. Cabinet also agreed that there would be no further increase in gas and electricity rates.

    Advisor to PM on Information and Broadcast Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan. addressing a press conference, said, “The government would provide Rs2bn monthly subsidy to the USC for wheat flour, rice, sugar, pulses and ghee. She said the basic objective to give Rs10 billion subsidy was to ensure a sufficient supply of food items through Utility Stores.

    The also meeting decided that the government would use Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation as a reservoir to store sufficient quantity of essential items so that in times of crisis these reserves could be utilised.

  • PTI to reintroduce patwari system in Punjab experiment

    PTI to reintroduce patwari system in Punjab experiment

    After vilifying it over the past couple of years and turning the term ‘patwari’ into a slur for leaders and supporters of its rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, in what is being called another “U-turn”, has decided to reintroduce patwari system in land revenue departments.

    A patwari is one of the most resourceful persons in any area or town despite having the lowest grade in official ranking. The reason for his immense power lies in the fact that he is responsible for land records and related issues. He is also responsible for many social, political and administrative tasks, including the record-keeping of weather and crop harvest, reporting village crimes and updating voters’ registers.

    While the PTI had risen to power after promises of getting done with patwari system, which it had back then accused of facilitating PML-N in making Punjab its stronghold, according to Dawn, a senior Punjab Land Revenue Authority (PLRA) has said that the Punjab Board of Revenue has asked divisional commissioners to allocate two revenue circles — known as kanungoi — in each district that will be controlled by a tehsildar and patwaris and serve as a model.

    In Rawalpindi, Mandra and Chakri were chosen in response to a letter from the Punjab Board of Revenue to the divisional commissioner at the end of January, and the PTI-led Punjab government’s reforms will be introduced there on an experimental basis in these two circles.

    The official said that the manual land records system had burdened the entire legal system because it could be altered by patwaris and field revenue officials, which was brought to an end by the computerised system. He said the Punjab bureaucracy is trying to persuade the government that the manual system was better than the computerised alternative.

    The report also quoted Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat as saying that reviving the patwari system had been proposed, but the government had not made a decision yet.

    He said they were completing their homework on the proposal, which would create parallel systems of manual and computerised land records systems in the province. However, he added, it would not be possible to run two parallel systems for land revenue records, and praised the project to digitise land records.