Tag: floods

  • ‘Together we will bounce back as a nation’: PM Shehbaz remembers flood victims on Jan 1

    ‘Together we will bounce back as a nation’: PM Shehbaz remembers flood victims on Jan 1

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif began the first day of the new year by remembering the victims of 2022’s devastating floods.

    On his twitter account, Shehbaz Sharif said, “In 2022, one-third of Pakistan paid the heavy price due to climate change and for no fault of theirs”. He also hoped that Pakistanis as a nation will bounce back.

    President Alvi, in his message, said that the past year saw the loss of life and money due to floods in 2022 but the nation faced the challenges with steadfastness, unity, and determination.

    However, as the new year has arrived, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan pledged that his party will form a strong government through elections in 2023.

    In a series of tweets, mentioning the best and worst times of 2022, Imran Khan shared, “A government with one of the best econ performances was removed through a conspiracy triggered by supreme self-interest, and Pakistan was handed over to a bunch of criminals.”

  • 2023 will be the year of the Pakistani woman

    2023 will be the year of the Pakistani woman

    Look, Pakistani men: you no longer have a choice. This year, Pakistani women are taking over. And don’t we deserve it. Looking back at 2022, we had to bear the burden of abuse, rape and gruesome murders.

    Pakistan faces a gender gap in ways and incidents unimaginable. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2022 ranked Pakistan at 145 out of the 146 countries ranked on the index. Pakistan was just ahead of Afghanistan, where women can’t go to school and universities. The report gauges how immense the gender gap is in areas, including education, economic participation, health, and political empowerment. Pakistan’s second-last position came as no surprise, at least not for the women in the country.

    Women in Pakistan are yearning for the day when our society will learn to provide the strength where it is required and stand with the survivors of sexual assaults, when no one will be afraid to talk about their horrific experiences and when no woman will be blamed for being a victim and celebrated for being a survivor. But until that day arrives, we can all try to bridge the gap and make it better for the women in our country. Our leaders and decision-makers can really try and make an effort to make Pakistan safe for women. It is time to stand up for the ones suffering and give women safe spaces.

    We as a country were still dealing with the horrors of the murder of Noor Mukadam and we hadn’t healed, when we witnessed the bone-chilling gruesome murder of Sara Shahnawaz in September at the hands of a man who, too, was raised as a result of the patriarchy.

    From glorifying abusers and then giving them awards, the Lux Style Awards (LSAs) became a sorry affair in 2022. The coveted LSAs rolled out nominations for its 21st edition and as soon as the names were dropped, viewers condemned what they felt was an injustice to other artists and women.

    So listen up: we hope that 2023 is a year when better sense prevails, we learn from our mistakes as individuals and start to become a country where our women and men are given their due rights and respect.

  • S&P Global lowers Pakistan’s credit rating to CCC+

    S&P Global lowers Pakistan’s credit rating to CCC+

    Pakistan’s long-term sovereign credit rating was downgraded by S&P Global from “B” to “CCC+” to reflect the continuous deterioration of the country’s external, fiscal, and economic metrics.

    According to S&P, Pakistan’s already meagre foreign exchange reserves would continue to be under pressure through 2023 without a drop in oil prices or an improvement in international aid. The nation also faces significant political risks that could alter its future course of policies.

    According to the report, Pakistan’s economic and fiscal results are predicted to be negatively impacted by this year’s devastating floods, skyrocketing food and energy prices, and rising global interest rates, with refinancing issues over the medium term.

    The agency maintained its outlook at “stable”.

    With barely enough reserves to pay one month’s worth of imports, a dollar shortage, and a delay in its loan programme with the International Monetary Fund, Pakistan is in the midst of an economic catastrophe. Despite the payment of a $1 billion bond this month, long-term dollar bonds continue to trade at distressed prices, reflecting investors’ lack of confidence in Pakistan’s capacity to meet its international debt commitments.

    Following the terrible floods that hit the country earlier this year, Moody’s lowered Pakistan’s sovereign credit rating by one notch, from B3 to Caa1, citing heightened government liquidity and external vulnerability risks.

  • ‘More resources are urgently needed’: UN calls for more funds for Pakistan flood victims

    UN Secretary-General’s Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, has said that flood victims in Pakistan need more funds as more resources are needed in winters to provide relief.
    He added that around 2.6 million people have received food assistance.

    “To date, in support of the government response, our humanitarian partners have reached more than 4.7 million people with aid since the onset of the flood,” Dujarric told reporters.

    “Our (humanitarian) partners have also helped 125,000 children to resume their education, including through more than 500 temporary learning centers.” However, schools remain inaccessible for more than two million children.

    “More resources are urgently needed,” he stressed, emphasizing that so far only 23% of the $816 million Floods Response Plan has been received.

    Torrential monsoon rains triggered the most severe flooding in Pakistan’s recent history. Hundreds of thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed, while many public health facilities, water systems and schools have been destroyed or damaged. More than 33 million people have been affected by floods and flash floods in 94 districts.

  • Japan announces $38.9 million grant for Pakistan flood victims

    The Japanese embassy in Pakistan said on Tuesday that Japan would provide the country with a grant assistance of $38.9 million as part of efforts to provide life-saving relief to flood victims.

    According to a statement issued by the Japanese Embassy, the projects will commence in January 2023 and Tokyo “will support the affected population in various social and economic dimensions in partnership with WHO, UNFPA, FAO, UNDP, UNICEF, WFP, UNWOMEN, UNHCR, and IPPF in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Punjab provinces, as well as the Islamabad Capital Territory.”

    The announcement made by the Japanese Embassy said, “The unprecedented levels of flooding have triggered a multi-dimensional humanitarian crisis, leaving the affected population with increased health risks and food insecurity, insecure livelihoods, and heightened vulnerabilities to gender-based violence.”

    The statement further clarified that for the total grant assistance of USD34.2 million, the proposed areas of support include emergency medical assistance, food distribution, agriculture and livestock restoration, livelihood recreation, and gender-based violence risk mitigation and response, with projects commencing from January 2023.

    Torrential monsoon rains triggered the most severe flooding in Pakistan’s recent history. Hundreds of thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed, while many public health facilities, water systems and schools have been destroyed or damaged. More than 33 million people have been affected by floods and flash floods in 94 districts.

  • ’85 per cent of provincial budget is spent on govt employees’ salaries’: CM Balochistan

    ’85 per cent of provincial budget is spent on govt employees’ salaries’: CM Balochistan

    Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, the Chief Minister of Balochistan, has raised alarms on the financial difficulties that the province is facing.

    He said that 85 per cent of the provincial budget is spent on the salaries of government employees, leaving the provincial government with little funds to spend on development projects.

    Speaking at an event in Quetta on Friday, he said, “We are far behind other provinces of the country as far as development projects are concerned due to lack of resources and funds to develop the province.”

    The chief minister highlighted that before 2010, Balochistan used to get very little share in the National Finance Commission Award (NFC) award on the basis of population, with the government barely able even to pay the salaries of its civil servants.

    However, he said, the situation has improved a little now, however, the budget still doesn’t fulfill the needs of the province.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Balochistan was severely affected by the recent floods. The province has lost about a half million head of livestock in the floods.

  • ‘We do not comment on rumours,’ Telenor Pakistan responds to reports suggesting that the company is being sold for $1 billion

    ‘We do not comment on rumours,’ Telenor Pakistan responds to reports suggesting that the company is being sold for $1 billion

    Multiple online news outlets reported that Telenor, a telecom operator, intended to sell its business in Pakistan for $1 billion, which ignited a debate on social media.

    There is a lot of uncertainty about the authenticity of this news since a few Telenor employees have also denied the reports and asserted that they are fake.

    The company has yet to make an official announcement in this regard, with the exception of responding to a Twitter user’s question who asked whether these reports are legit. “We do not comment on speculations and rumours,” Telenor replied. 

    According to Bloomberg, Telenor is moving forward with plans to sell its business in Pakistan, which might be worth $1 billion, according to people familiar with the situation.

    The Norwegian telecommunications operator is working with Citigroup Inc. and will welcome first-round bids for the firm later this month, according to insiders.

    Telenor announced in July that it would conduct a strategic assessment of its Pakistan unit after incurring a 2.5 billion-krone ($244 million) loss on operations in the growing market.

    The people predict that strategic customers with operations in Pakistan from the Middle East and Asia will express interest. They stated that there is no assurance that the ongoing discussions would result in a transaction. Telenor and Citigroup representatives declined to comment.

    Telenor’s stock increased as much as 2.4 per cent on Wednesday. The company’s market worth increased to $13 billion as the stock rose 1.8 per cent in Oslo.

    In October, Telenor said that the third quarter’s underlying profitability in Pakistan decreased by 22 per cent, in part as a result of the nation’s growing energy costs. This had a negative effect, but it was partially offset by a gain from Pakistan’s repeal of a SIM tax.

    One of Telenor’s four Asian countries, Pakistan, saw a gain of 600 million crowns ($57.79 million), which was related to a court ruling on the applicability of tax on SIM cards for mobile phones from 2014 to 2020.

    In recent years, Telenor, which serves 175 million users across eight countries in the Nordic region and Asia, has worked to reduce expenses and increase cash flow in order to fund greater dividends and 5G expenditures. The company’s greatest efforts to date have involved attempts to consolidate markets in South-East Asia, including a $8.6 billion acquisition in Thailand and a $15 billion merger to create a telecoms leader in Malaysia.

    Telenor Asia, which also manages the company’s operations in Pakistan and Bangladesh, is in charge of both units.

    During the first three quarters of 2022, Telenor Pakistan’s income decreased by about 8 per cent in Norwegian Kroner terms but increased by 4 per cent in Pakistani Rupee terms, staying at NOK 3.390 billion (Rs82.57 billion) as opposed to NOK 4.270 billion (Rs79.36 billion) during the same period of 2021.

    In comparison to NKO 1.425 billion (Rs26.68 billion) during the same period last year, or in 2021, Telenor Pakistan reported total revenues of NOK 1.320 billion (Rs29.53 billion) during the third quarter of 2022. This represents a 7.5 per cent decline in NOK terms and a 10 per cent increase in rupee.

    Intense floods throughout the quarter had a negative impact on the Group’s business in Pakistan. Consumers’ purchasing power was impacted by the circumstance, which also resulted in network failures and raised prices.

  • Yasir Hussain is looking forward to son Kabir’s friendship with Alia Bhatt’s daughter, netizens react

    Yasir Hussain is looking forward to son Kabir’s friendship with Alia Bhatt’s daughter, netizens react

    Actor and director Yasir Hussain is known for expressing his controversial takes on social media. Now the Jhooti star has made an unexpected comment while sharing the news of Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s newborn daughter.

    The Baandi star wrote, “Tabhi Aaj kabir bohot khush hai. Do mulkon ki dosti k liye mai tayaar hun.” (No wonder why Kabir is happy today. I am ready to help both nations befriend each other.)

    The post was an indirect prediction of Kabir Hussain’s bond with the Kapoor baby.

    Netizens trolled the Koyal director’s comments for his statement, registering their opinions.

    Yasir yet again received flak for his statement as netizens started a troll fest on social media.

    Hussain recently grabbed headlines for mocking actors who claimed to skip Hum Awards, in solidarity with the flood victims.

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    The Lahore Se Aagay hero wrote, “Jo actor(s) baqwas kar rahay hain ke wo khud nahi gaye, unko business class ticket nahi di. Maine chat parhi hai beta. (I have read the chats, the actors who are claiming utter rubbish that they skipped the award show themselves, weren’t provided with business class tickets.)”

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    Hussain’s statement for actors who skipped the award show came after Azfar Rehman announced on Instagram that he opted out of his participation in the 2022 HUM Awards in Canada to express solidarity with the flood victims in Pakistan.

    The Aatish star was praised by his industry colleagues and netizens for his generous act.

    He said he has withdrawn “by choice with due respect to the coveted event”.

    “Sorry to disappoint my fans in Toronto Canada, I shall not be attending the HUM Awards this year even though I’m nominated in the best actor in a negative role category. I stand in solidarity with my brothers and sisters drowning in the floods. I request the authority at the awards to kindly donate my ticket and stay money to the flood relief,” he wrote, adding the hashtag Pakistan Zindabad.

    Celebrities like Ayesha Omar, Mehwish Hayat, Nadia Afgan, Ali Kazmi, Sadaf Kanwal and Shagufta Ejaz praised Rehman for his stance.

    The award show organisers and attendees were scrutinised on social media for their timing. Amongst these attendees was Yasir Hussain, who has now made an indirect dig at Azfar.

    Although Hussain didn’t tag Rehman in his post but since Azfar is the only mainstream actor who announced this publicly, it is pretty evident that Yasir has slammed him.

    Last year on Aagha Ali and Hina Altaf’s The Couple Show, Yasir Hussain said that Azfar thinks that he’s a great actor but he’s absolutely not.

    The Couple Show | Episode 2 Promo | Yasir Hussain & Iqra Aziz | Aagha Ali & Hina Altaf - Aaj.tv

    A netizen recently commented a derogatory remark under his post, calling him, “a barking dog and a flop actor”.

    Yasir sarcastically replied to the troll by saying, “MashaAllah language.”

  • Shehbaz meets with world leaders during climate change conference

    Shehbaz meets with world leaders during climate change conference

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Monday attended the inaugural ceremony of the United Nations (UN) Climate Implementation Summit at the coastal city of Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt.

    The “Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit” is part of the 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27).

    The premier separately met with the Presidents of Iraq, Tajikistan and Indonesia Abdul Latif Rashid, Emomali Rahmon, and Joko Widodo, respectively. He also conducted a meeting with Lebanese PM Najib Makati.

    In his meeting with the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Shehbaz Sharif thanked him for the assistance sent as aid for flood victims.

    In his meeting with the European Union Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen, PM Shehbaz appreciated the spirit of EU nations for their support extended to the flood-hit population of Pakistan. The premier also met with UN chief Antonio Guterres.

    The PM arrived in Egypt on Sunday to participate in the conference that has drawn delegates from 197 countries.

    Before his departure, PM Shehbaz took to Twitter to say that he would raise the matter of the devasting effects of climate change in Pakistan.

    Last month, it was announced that PM Shehbaz would be the vice-chairperson for COP27.

    The conference is taking place at a time when millions of people in Pakistan, and millions more in other parts of the world, are facing severe adverse impacts of climate change.

    For the first time in the history of COP27, the members would discuss whether rich countries should compensate poor nations most exposed to the adverse effects of climate change.

  • Sindh government approves Rs46 billion for reconstruction of roads damaged due to flood

    Sindh government approves Rs46 billion for reconstruction of roads damaged due to flood

    On Friday, the Sindh government approved a budget of Rs. 46 billion to restore streets and highways in the province’s flood-affected areas, Mudassir Nazir has reported for Samaa.

    Syed Murad Ali Shah, the Chief Minister (CM) of Sindh, presided over a high-level provincial meeting on Friday at the CM House where the budget was approved.

    The CM has said that as part of the approval, 1,473 kilometers of roads that were destroyed by floods will be rebuilt throughout Sindh.

    The meeting was informed that Dadu and Jamshoro areas, where the damage was worst, would receive the lion’s share of the allocation for road restoration.

    Additionally, it was revealed that the project’s funding had been approved by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The provincial administration of Sindh was also informed that the documentation needed to obtain the grant from ADB was being prepared.

    There is no funding included in this project for the restoration and repair of the rain-damaged roads in Karachi division.