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  • Heavy penalties on traffic violations to be imposed from today

    Heavy penalties on traffic violations to be imposed from today

    Drivers violating traffic rules on motorways and national highways will pay a heavy price for transgressions from today (January 1).

    National Highways and Motorway Police have revised fines, applicable from January 1.

    As per the details released by NHMP, the fines range from Rs. 750 to Rs. 3000 for covering the backscreen partially or completely and not following the stop-line protocols respectively.

    The details of the rest of the fines are in the tweet below:

  • Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s convoy attacked in DI Khan

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s convoy attacked in DI Khan

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s convoy came under attack in Dera Ismail Khan on Sunday.

    The politician’s convoy was fired from multiple directions at the Yarik Interchange, the party’s spokesperson, Mufti Abrar, told Geo News on Sunday, adding that the attack took place while the vehicles were passing through the DI Khan area.

    He also confirmed that Maulana Fazlur Rehman is safe.

    Fazlur Rehman’s brother, however, denied the attack on the party chief, claiming that Maulana was at home when the incident happened.

    “Maulana’s car stopped for refueling near the Yarik interchange [when the incident happened],” he added.

    Maulana has expressed concerns many times about security issues in the DI Khan area. He also said on December 5 that “There is no police in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, and Lakki Marwat. Can the polls be staged in this situation of unrest?”

    Earlier this week, Fazl had warned that his party will hold Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja responsible if party workers came under attack during electioneering.

  • Israeli soldiers getting infected with parasitic skin disease

    Israeli soldiers getting infected with parasitic skin disease

    Israeli newspapers have reported that dozens of Israeli soldiers serving near Gaza border are suspected to have been infected by a skin disease known as leishmaniasis.

    Anadolu Agency quotes Israeli newspaper Maariv stating that the infection results in skin lesions caused by the Leishmania parasite which leads to Rose of Jericho disease (leishmaniasis) because they have “ulcerative skin lesions”.

    The parasite is transmitted through a fly’s bite which results in an “inflamed and painful lesion that does not heal”. They are, however, not life-threatening, Anadolu Agency quotes an expert.

    According to an Israeli army spokesman: “Various actions to prevent Leishmania infection among the soldiers are (being) taken in various units.”

    “Explanatory sheets on the subject and mosquito repellent preparations were distributed to soldiers in field units,” the spokesman said.

    “All patients who suffer from suspicious symptoms are examined by a military dermatologist, receive appropriate treatment and are referred to a dedicated leishmania clinic as needed,” he added.

  • David Warner retiring from ODI cricket

    David Warner retiring from ODI cricket

    Australian cricket team opener David Warner has announced his retirement from One Day International (ODI) cricket after bidding farewell to Test cricket.

    Warner, the opening batsman of the Australian team, said in a press conference “I am taking retirement minutes from ODI cricket as well, I will be available to Australia in the T20 format.”

    Warner, star of many of Australia’s stellar victories, will play the last Test of his career against Pakistan in Sydney.

  • Junaid Khan is new bowling coach of Pakistan Under-19 team

    Junaid Khan is new bowling coach of Pakistan Under-19 team

    Former fast bowler Junaid Khan has been appointed as bowling coach of the Pakistan Under-19 cricket team.

    According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Junaid Khan will be the bowling coach of the team in the U-19 World Cup, while current coach Rehan Riaz was not available for the tournament due to family commitments.

    34-year-old Junaid Khan recently coached Islamabad region. Islamabad won the Hanif Muhammad Trophy under Junaid Khan’s coaching.

    Junaid Khan took 189 wickets in 107 international matches.

  • FBR surpasses Rs1 trillion tax collection milestone in December

    FBR surpasses Rs1 trillion tax collection milestone in December

    In a historic achievement, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) announced the unprecedented collection of over Rs1 trillion in December, marking the first instance of such a milestone, as per a press release issued today.

    Furthermore, the FBR has set a new record by collecting Rs4.468 trillion in the initial six months of Fiscal Year 2024, indicating a notable increase of over Rs1 trillion when compared to the Rs3.43 trillion collected during the same period in FY23.

    Remarkably, the FBR has surpassed its targeted collection for the first half of FY24, which was initially set at Rs4.425 trillion. The government’s ambitious projection for the entire fiscal year stands at Rs9.415 trillion.

    Despite challenges such as the issuance of Rs230 billion in refunds, up from Rs177 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year, and sustained import compression, the FBR continues to face obstacles in revenue collection at the import stage.

    Traditionally, the revenue mix at the import stage and domestic taxes had a 50:50 ratio. However, this balance has shifted to 36:64, with the FBR mitigating the impact of import compression by generating more revenue domestically.

    The ratio of direct to indirect taxes has also experienced a shift, with the share of direct taxes increasing to 49 per cent in the first six months.

    Notably, in December alone, direct taxes accounted for 59 per cent, marking a 41 per cent increase in the first six months compared to the previous year.

    Within the category of direct taxes, the FBR has reduced the share of withholding taxes from 70 per cent to 55-58 per cent over the past two years. Remarkably, the share of withholding taxes reached as low as 40 per cent in December 2023.

    It’s worth noting that the FBR had achieved a Rs1 trillion annual collection back in 2007-08, a milestone that took 50 years to accomplish.

    In contrast, the FBR has achieved a comparable feat within a single month after 15 years, underscoring the relentless efforts, unwavering dedication, and hard work demonstrated by the field formations and top leadership of the FBR.

  • Petrol, diesel price in Pakistan to remain unchanged for first two weeks of January 2024

    Petrol, diesel price in Pakistan to remain unchanged for first two weeks of January 2024

    The interim government has chosen to uphold the current petrol price in Pakistan for the initial two weeks of January 2024.

    This decision is attributed to the absence of any significant decrease in global crude prices and amidst a stable exchange rate between the Pakistani rupee and the US dollar.

    The diesel price will also stay unaltered for the upcoming fortnight.

    As a result of this development, the prices for petrol and diesel will persist at Rs267.34 and Rs276.21 per liter, respectively.

    These revised prices will be effective from January 1, 2024.

    Earlier in the month, the government had reduced the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs14 and Rs13.5, respectively, following the bi-weekly revision.

  • President Pakistan Olympic Association Lieutenant General (R) Arif Hasan resigned

    President Pakistan Olympic Association Lieutenant General (R) Arif Hasan resigned

    Pakistan Olympic Association (PAO) President Lieutenant General (retired) Arif Hasan resigned from his post after 19 years.

    Lt Gen Retd Arif Hasan wrote in a letter to the Executive Committee of the Pakistan Olympics Association members that he is resigning as President of POA on January 1, 2024.

    He further wrote that the decision was not easy but due to ill health, he needed help to continue the responsibility of heading such an important organization.

    Arif Hasan is currently living in America where he confirmed his resignation when contacted by Geo News, while Secretary POA Khalid Mahmood has also confirmed Arif Hasan’s resignation.

    Arif Hassan was appointed as the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the South Asian Games in 2002, after which he remained active in Pakistan Sports, in 2004 he became the first President of the Pakistan Olympic Association and was then elected for four consecutive terms.

    After the resignation of Arif Hasan, the executive committee of the POA will temporarily decide on the acting president until the next elections.

  • Our people of the year 2023: Motaz and Mahrang

    Our people of the year 2023: Motaz and Mahrang

    2023 saw the world witnessing war and injustices on a global scale, and the rise of indigenous leadership. It is said that leaders are not born, they are made. The war on Gaza and some indigenous movements have caused a paradigm shift in the collective consciousness of people by changing the way pop culture approaches celebrity culture. This time the choice was not hard. Heroes of 2023 are neither politicians nor actors, they are people who have not deliberately made their way to the limelight. Circumstances made them stand up for the cause they stood for.

    Motaz Azaiza

    Motaz, the photojournalist famously known as “The Eye of Gaza”, has emerged as the world’s window into Gaza. His Instagram and Twitter accounts provided a very real and horrifying peek into the oppression carried out by the Israeli forces.

    The world saw his transformation over a short time, as the war lingered on for more than 80 days. From grey hair at 24 to his struggle to have access to the internet, the world him document the horrors unfolding in Gaza’s genocide. His followers increased from thousands to millions and he became that one person who people prayed for when seen offline for a long time.

    This young man graduated from the University of Gaza in English Language Literature, pursued his passion for photography, and struggled as a freelancer in the limited options available in Gaza but his efforts got recognized post-October 7. His valour and commitment got appreciated in the form of him being declared the “Man of the Year” by GQ Middle East and the pictures taken by him making it to Times Top 100 Photos of 2023.

    “No one is safe, nowhere is safe, and fear is everywhere. Either I stay at home or I go outside. Why should I stay at home? I have to stand up and show the world the truth through the camera lens,” Motaz told The New Arab in an interview and this encapsulates the motive behind his work.

    Mahrang Baloch

    Mahrang, a student leader from Balochistan, is again a leader crafted by circumstances. At 30, she is leading a movement against the extra-judicial killings and missing persons in the country.

    Mahrang was just a young girl when her father was forcibly abducted and later found dead with signs of torture back in 2009. According to her, this incident changed her life completely. Unfazed, she became vocal about the inhumane acts. Her brother faced the same persecution in 2017 but that made her even more resolute to speak against this injustice. She actively led different movements in her student years. Mahrang was a student leader in 2020 when the removal of the quota system at Bolan Medical College emerged and she led the campaign to oppose the suggestion successfully as she believed that this quota system preserve opportunities for students from remote areas.

    The human rights activist describes herself as a political worker and an advocate of #endenforceddisappearences.

    She is currently leading the sit-in by Balcoh protestors in Islamabad, becoming the voice of tens of thousands of Baloch suffering the loss of their beloved in the province through the platform of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee. The death of Balach Baloch instigated a new wave of awareness about the issue and this time Mahrang is determined to not let the phenomenon of the “Baloch Genocide” go unnoticed.

    Both causes are close to our hearts, inspiring us with their bravery and determination.

  • Top three blunders by Pakistani celebrities in 2023

    Top three blunders by Pakistani celebrities in 2023

    Pakistani celebrities found themselves in the spotlight in 2023 for various reasons, and unfortunately, not all were positive. Let’s delve into the top three blunders that grabbed public attention:

    From social media missteps to controversial statements, these incidents stirred discussions and raised questions about the responsibility that comes with fame.

    Nida Yasir faced online mockery after mistakenly stating on Shoaib Akhtar’s show that Pakistan won the 1992 Cricket World Cup in 2006. Netizens swiftly responded with humor, sharing memes and comments about the gaffe. Yasir, known as the ‘queen of memes,’ has previously been trolled for various reasons, maintaining her reputation for unintentional comedic moments on live television. Twitter users seized the opportunity to share their amusement, once again making Yasir the center of online humor.

    Sehar Khan faced backlash for inaccurately labeling Priyanka Chopra’s ‘Barfi’ character. Critics highlighted the importance of using respectful language regarding mental health.

    Sehar apologized, acknowledging her mistake and emphasizing her respect for those with mental disabilities. The incident underscores the responsibility celebrities bear in shaping public perceptions.

    TikTok couple Sehar Hayat and Samir Rasheed faced severe criticism for conducting a poll on social media, asking followers whether they wanted to see a Valima vlog or Sehar in the hospital. After Sehar fell ill, Samir shared a picture of her in the hospital, sparking accusations of a tasteless publicity stunt. The couple deleted the poll amid backlash, with netizens condemning the prioritization of social media over Sehar’s well-being. The controversy drew attention from model Mathira, who called out the perceived fakery. Critics questioned the authenticity of their actions, fueling a social media storm.