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  • Court fails to recognise legislative authority of parliament: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah

    Court fails to recognise legislative authority of parliament: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah

    In a 2-1 majority decision, the Supreme Court (SC) invalidated changes made by parliament to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) regulations. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah commented that the decision failed to recognise the legislative authority of parliament.

    Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), received approval on Friday from a three-member SC panel for his appeal challenging amendments made to the country’s accountability legislation under the previous administration, which was led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

    The majority decision, according to the verdict, found the petition against the NAB changes valid, reopening all closed inquiries submitted to the anti-graft body.

    “The majority judgement has also fallen short to appreciate that what Parliament has done, Parliament can undo; the legislative power of the Parliament is never exhausted,” Justice Shah said in his dissenting note.

  • Govt raises petrol price by Rs26.02 per litre, diesel by Rs17

    On Friday night, the interim government implemented a significant adjustment in fuel prices. The cost of petrol rose by Rs26.02 per litre, reaching a new rate of Rs331.38 per litre, while high-speed diesel (HSD) saw an increase of Rs17.34 per litre, settling at Rs329.18 per litre.

    The Ministry of Finance made this announcement via a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) after midnight.

    This decision was driven by the continuous upward trajectory of petroleum prices in the global market. It’s important to note that there were no alterations made to the rates of kerosene or light diesel oil.

    This latest price surge closely follows a substantial hike on September 1, when the interim government elevated fuel prices by up to Rs18 per litre. This increase was preceded by similar adjustments made by the interim government on August 15.

    The rationale behind these price adjustments lies in adherence to existing tax structures and import parity prices. These changes were primarily necessitated by currency fluctuations and a slight uptick in international oil prices.

  • British Prime Minister bans American dog breed

    British Prime Minister bans American dog breed

    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said on Friday that American XL Bully dogs will be banned in the UK after a spate of dangerous attacks.

    The British Prime Minister expressed hope that the breed of dangerous dogs will be banned by the end of this year.

    In a video statement released on social media, Rishi Sunak said that these dogs have caused at least 14 human deaths since 2021 and are a threat to children and communities.

    Referring to videos of dogs attacking humans and spreading panic among people, Sunak has said that he has given instructions to act immediately to ban this breed of dogs to keep people safe, adding that it is now clear that the problem is not a few badly trained dogs but their behaviour.

    He stated that owners have a responsibility to keep their dogs under control, assuring the public that work is underway to prevent future attacks and protect the public.

  • ISI chief gets extension in service

    An official source has verified to The News that Director General (DG) Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum got an extension in service.

    The summary of the extension was accepted on late Thursday night, September 14. Earlier, former Prime Minister Shehbaz Shaif granted an extension of three years to Director General (DG) of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) Fuad Asadullah before his retirement.

    On November 20, 2021, Nadeem Anjum took over as DG ISI from General Faiz Hameed. Nadeem Anjum had previously served as the commander of the Karachi Corps since being elevated to the rank of three-star general in September 2019.

    Other than that, he is the first ISI chief to have to address a press conference.

  • MDCAT results withheld by Peshawar High Court

    MDCAT results withheld by Peshawar High Court

    Results of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) have been withheld on the orders of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday following petitions filed by students in the light of cases of cheating via Bluetooth devices in examination halls.

    The court issued orders to the chief secretary, executive director of the Education Test and Evaluation Agency (ETEA), and the registrar of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to provide responses regarding these allegations.

    The court has asked the Education Test and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) to not publish the official results on its website for now as the investigation is underway.

    The hearing was chaired by Justice Syed Arshad Ali who passed orders that the online release of the results must be halted till September 21, the date of the next hearing.

    The case

    Dozens of candidates had been caught cheating in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) MDCAT exams conducted in a number of cities on Sunday.

    Over 40 candidates, including 20 female candidates, were arrested in Peshawar while 10 were taken into custody in DI Khan.
    All of the detainees were said to be using Bluetooth to cheat in the test. And as reported by Geo, DI Khan police sources claimed that VIP passes were issued to the candidates for which a hefty amount was paid to take the exam through dishonest means.

    Students and parents filed complaints to the Human Rights Cell in Peshawar regarding the results and integrity of the system which were then sent to the PHC chief justice.

    The applicants asserted that approximately 200 students were caught using Bluetooth devices during the examination.

  • 98 percent of Pakistanis unhappy with country’s direction, survey

    98 percent of Pakistanis unhappy with country’s direction, survey

    Along with the country’s economy, restoring the declining confidence of Pakistani consumers is a big challenge for the caretaker government.

    Apsus Pakistan released the third quarter survey report of Consumer Confidence Index.

    According to the survey report, 98 per cent of Pakistanis are not happy with the country’s direction, while the number of Pakistanis who consider the direction to be correct has come down to merely 2 per cent.

    According to the report, Pakistanis are disappointed with the country’s economy and their own financial situation, 76 per cent of Pakistanis say the country’s economy is weak and 68 per cent say their financial situation is precarious.

    The survey also revealed that 66 per cent of Pakistanis are not optimistic about improvement in the country’s economic conditions, even in the next six months, while 60 per cent see their financial conditions becoming weaker in the future.

  • Karachi wholesale grocers announce market shutdown in protest against alleged illegal raids, fines

    Karachi wholesale grocers announce market shutdown in protest against alleged illegal raids, fines

    Wholesalers in Karachi are set to stage a market shutdown on Monday in protest of what they consider unlawful raids and penalties imposed by the district administration in an effort to combat hoarding.

    According to ARY News, Rauf Ibrahim, the Chairman of the Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA), held a press conference today, expressing concern that the district administration’s actions have created fear among traders due to shop and go-down closures. 

    He cautioned that they would cease operations at wholesale markets on Monday unless the district administration unseals these establishments. He said if these unjust raids and fines persist, we will suspend commodity markets on Monday.

    Ibrahim alleged that the district administration is sealing shops and go-downs under the pretext of cracking down on hoarding. He cited an instance where a shop owner in Joria Bazar was fined Rs30,000 for storing just two sacks of sugar.

    He criticised the categorisation of wholesalers with 100 to 500 sacks of sugar as hoarders and stressed that traders are willing to cooperate with authorities during hoarding crackdowns.

    Ibrahim urged the administration to take decisive action against genuine hoarders.

    To combat hoarding, federal and provincial governments have initiated operations in various cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta, and Dera Ismail Khan, resulting in the confiscation of illegally stockpiled sugar.

    Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) assured that there is an ample supply of sugar available at controlled prices nationwide.

  • Zaman Khan wins hearts of cricket fans despite Pakistan’s loss

    Zaman Khan wins hearts of cricket fans despite Pakistan’s loss

    Defending champions Sri Lanka qualified for the finals after defeating Pakistan in the crucial match of the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup.

    The journey of the green shirts in the tournament ended and Pakistan didn’t make it to the final but thanks to fast bowler Zaman Khan, this success remained difficult for the opposing team until the last ball.

    Zaman’s moment came when Sri Lanka needed eight runs from the last six balls and he bowled the last over. Sri Lanka needed two runs from his last ball but as a result of poor fielding SriLankan batsman Aslanka scored easily and took his team to the final by winning the match.

    After the big loss, Pakistan could not hide their depression in the stadium. Zaman Khan became emotional sitting on the pitch, after which Shaheen Afridi and other cricketers hugged and comforted him.

    The national team is being criticized by cricket fans due to poor fielding and batting, but also a picture of Zaman Khan is being viral very quickly on social media to appreciate his performance.

    Check out the comments in favor of Zaman Khan:

  • Deepika Padukone charged an unheard of amount for ‘Jawan’

    Deepika Padukone charged an unheard of amount for ‘Jawan’

    Shah Rukh Khan’s action thriller ‘Jawan’ has received rave reviews from social media users and critics alike. A special appearance by his close friend and long time collaborator Deepika Padukone was singled out for praise as one of the best scenes in the film.

    The ‘Pathaan’ actress shocked social media when she revealed to Indian magazine The Week that she had charged Rs0 for her cameo and gave a special reason why she refused to take any amount for the appearances she made in films like ’83’ and ‘Cirkus’:

    “I wanted to be a part of 83 because I wanted it to be an ode to women who stand behind their husbands’ glory. I watched my mother do it. This was my homage to wives who make sacrifices to support their husbands’ careers. Other than that, any special appearance for Shah Rukh Khan, I am there. Same with Rohit Shetty.”

    The actress, who garnered applause for her stellar performance alongside King Khan for her first film ‘Om Shanti Om’ (for which hadn’t charged a single penny either!) said the duo call themselves each others’ lucky charms.

     “We are each other’s lucky charm. But honestly, we are beyond luck. We have a sense of ownership over each other,” the actress gushed about the Bollywood Badshah.

    “I am one of the few people he is vulnerable with. There is so much trust and respect, and I think that luck is just the cherry on the top.”

  • Social media is sharing controversial opinions about desi culture

    What would be the most controversial, yet important take you have about desi society?

    A user on X posed this challenge to their followers, asking for opinions about every single aspect of desi society. Whether it is excessive body shaming, poor funeral etiquettes, division of household chores within family members, or wedding obsessions, desi social media users held back nothing, leaving us with some very blunt, but direly needed takes.

    Your wives are not unpaid house helpers. We wish more families would understand this.

    Please understand that funerals are a time when family members need to grieve. Instead of giving them space, desi family members end up doing the opposite which is tragic to witness.

    Teach your sons to be the kind of men your daughters would feel safe around.

    We hope more people start unlearning that talking about periods is a taboo.