Tag: Pakistan

  • Lockdown restrictions revised in Punjab

    Lockdown restrictions revised in Punjab

    The Punjab government on Thursday revised the terms of the lockdown imposed in multiple districts of the province as major cities grapple with crippling fog.

    In its amended notification, the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department of the province notified that call centres and international information technology companies will be allowed to operate during the lockdown.

    While markets in the eight smog-hit districts will be allowed to operate today and tomorrow; however, shopping malls and markets will be closed on Saturday and Sunday.

    The notification also states that cinema halls, restaurants and gyms will remain open today as per routine.

    The decision will remain in effect in Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Gujranwala Narowal, Hafizabad and Sialkot.

    Previous Notification

    A day earlier, an environmental and health emergency had been declared in Lahore, Gujranwala, and Hafizabad divisions for four days due to the prevailing smog conditions.

    Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi made the announcement during a press conference on Tuesday when the air quality index (AQI) in the city measured 390, falling under the category of hazardous.

    At this AQI level, the city maintained its position as one of the most polluted cities with citizens experiencing a hazy and smoggy atmosphere throughout the day. The air quality was severely poor, making it nearly impossible to breathe normally outdoors.

    Notification issued on Tuesday detailed that from Thursday to Sunday i.e., November 9, 2023, to November 12, 2023, all markets, shopping malls, restaurants, cinemas, gymnasiums, schools (public and private), and offices (public and private) will remain closed in Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Gujranwala Narowal, Hafizabad and Sialkot.

    Also, the movement of people will be limited to and from these areas by public and private transport.

    The following will be exempted from closure:

    • Pharmacies/ Medical Stores
    • Medical Facilities and Vaccination Centers
    • Petrol Pumps
    • Oil Depots
    • Tandoors
    • Bakeries,
    • Grocery / Karyana stores
    • Milk / Dairy Shops
    • Sweet Shops,
    • Vegetable / Fruit Shops
    • Chicken / Meat Shops
    • E-commerce
    • Postal / Courier Services
    • Utility Services (Electricity, Natural Gas, Internet, Cellular Networks /Telecom.

    Large departmental stores will only keep their grocery /pharmacy sections open while all other sections will remain closed.

    It has been suggested by the government that people buy groceries and medicines within the vicinity of their residence.

  • Major Breakthrough in Fatima Murder Case

    Major Breakthrough in Fatima Murder Case

    Sindh’s caretaker Minister of Law and Human Rights, Muhammad Umar Sumro, confirmed that DNA samples collected from Pir Asad Shah, the prime suspect in Fatima murder case, have matched with the semen traces found on the victim’s clothing.

    He was addressing the National Judicial Conference at a local hotel in Karachi.

    On August 14, ten-year-old Fatima Pharriro was brutally subjected to physical and sexual violence, allegedly by Pir Asad Shah and his wife Hina Shah, and was found dead at their haveli in Ranipur.

    A case was lodged on the complaint of her mother, Shabnam Khatoon, under Sections 302 (intentional murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at Ranipur police station and an investigation was initiated.

    The minister further highlighted that DNA samples initially did not yield a match due to the alleged tampering of evidence by officials of the health department, reportedly under the influence of the suspect.

    A breakthrough occurred when the samples were sent to a facility in Punjab for processing, and the subsequent analysis established a clear match between the DNA obtained from the suspect and the samples found on the victim’s clothes.

    According to an earlier DNA report from the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences in Jamshoro, the examination of the semen stains on the deceased girl’s clothing had revealed “mixed DNA profiles,” providing crucial evidence in the ongoing investigation of this tragic case.

    Court Updates

    On November 8, all suspects were produced by jail authorities, and the final charge sheet was submitted by the investigation officer. for the charge frame.

    According to the final challan report, the DNA report has not been submitted to the court yet.

    The DNA report has been submitted to Police Surgeon Karachi, as per the final post-mortem report, the supplementary post-mortem report will be submitted after the DNA report.

    Therefore, after receiving the supplementary post-mortem report, it will be produced.

    Fatima’s case
    A domestic maid, 10-year-old child Fatima Phuriro, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Ranipur.

    The child had been working as a domestic worker at a haveli owned by an influential local, Pir Asad Shah Jilani.

    Fatima’s mother, Shabana, was informed about the death by the employer who asked her to remove the body from the premises.

    According to DIG Sukkur Javed Jiskani, the parents initially did not share the facts of the case with the police and claimed that the girl was suffering from gastroenteritis.

    While her diagnosis was also confirmed by Dr Abdul Fatah Memon who treated her, the DIG revealed that Fatima was taken to the hospital either by the Pir or his staff and that the SHO was present at the time she was pronounced dead.

    It was not until videos of the child were leaked by an unknown source and circulated on social media that the case caught the media’s eye. By then, the family had buried Fatima on August 15.

    The body was later exhumed and sent for an autopsy which revealed that the girl had been raped both vaginally and anally.

    Fatima’s parents revealed heartbreaking details when we talked to them in September this year.

  • PTI takes U-turn by forming committee for ‘political engagement’ with rivals

    PTI takes U-turn by forming committee for ‘political engagement’ with rivals

    In preparation for the upcoming general elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced the creation of a ‘political engagement committee’ on Wednesday. The committee’s job is to talk to other political parties that PTI will compete against in the upcoming elections.

    The five-member committee includes Senator Ali Zafar, Senator Dr Humayun Mohmand, Ali Muhammad Khan, Ali Asghar Khan and Raoof Hasan, the party notification shared on its official X account stated.

    The development comes days after ecent announcement by the previous ruling party that they plan to participate in the upcoming elections in every constituency, both at the local and national levels.

    The political party led by Imran Khan usually strongly criticizes its rivals, especially the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), accusing them of corruption and stealing from the country.
    However, now PTI is willing to set aside old disagreements to work together to form new political partnerships, so they can be stronger in the upcoming general elections on February 8 next year.
    A day earlier, the PML-N and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) announced that they will “jointly contest” the upcoming polls.

  • Next four days crucial for Lahore, says caretaker CM Naqvi

    Next four days crucial for Lahore, says caretaker CM Naqvi

    Caretaker CM Punjab Mohsin Naqvi has said that, “The next four days are highly important regarding smog.” He was visiting construction sites in Saggiyan.

    Section 144 has been imposed in Lahore as part of a health and environmental emergency. The Chief Minister asserted that people should not come out of their houses unnecessarily. “There will not be much restriction on Iqbal Day but later anti-smog measures will be strictly implemented,” he said.

    The lesser number of traffic on the roads will provide ease in improving the environment and for that Punjab Government has requested traders to comply with the decision and announce the shutdown of the markets. This, he believes, will reduce the traffic and that will lessen the intensity of the smog.

    It is important to mention that Lahore is topping the charts for having a hazardous air-quality index for the last one week.

  • IMF pressures Pakistan for tax reforms, calls for intensified recovery efforts

    IMF pressures Pakistan for tax reforms, calls for intensified recovery efforts

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is urging Pakistan to intensify efforts towards tax recovery. 

    Specifically, the IMF calls for increased income tax collection from retailers and the real estate sector, alongside a heightened focus on agriculture income. 

    The IMF emphasises collaborative actions between the federal government and provinces to enhance tax recovery, considering the imposition of a fixed tax on retailers in case of collection shortfalls after December. 

    Additionally, the IMF recommends consultations with provinces for taxing agriculture and real estate. Proposals for tax policy amendments and addressing taxation flaws have been extended to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) by the IMF mission, emphasising effective taxation policies and enforcement in sectors with insufficient tax recovery. 

    The FBR has presented a revenue projection report to the IMF team for the current fiscal year, with the IMF expected to respond by Saturday. During the discussions, the FBR briefed the IMF on the task force dedicated to tax policy and administration. 

    As part of an agreement with the IMF, Pakistan commits to sharing data on tax evaders through collaboration with the FBR, banks, and NADRA, aiming to enhance overall tax collection. 

    This agreement was reportedly reached during policy review talks, facilitating the release of a $700 million loan tranche under the Standby Agreement (SBA).

  • 2023 likely to be the hottest year on record

    2023 likely to be the hottest year on record

    The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service report has claimed that 2023 was the warmest October on record globally, noting an average surface temperature of 15.3 degrees Celsius (59.54 degrees Fahrenheit) over the month. The report is “virtually certain” that 2023 is the warmest year ever recorded.

    The mean temperature was 0.85 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average for October and 1.7 degrees Celsius warmer than the preindustrial period of 1850-1900.

    Earlier, 2016 was declared as the hottest year in world history. Climate change experts find the shocking data to be “like something out of a Hollywood movie”

    COP28 is scheduled to take place by the end of November and this finding makes it more crucial than ever because the current temperature rise is 1.43 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average which was aimed to be curbed to just 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050. The figures are alarming and demand the world’s attention.

    The world has already warmed by around 1.1 degrees Celsius after over a century of burning fossil fuels as well as unequal and unsustainable energy and land use. Indeed, it is this temperature increase that is fueling a series of extreme weather events around the world.

  • ‘IBA ya Pagal khaana’: Asim Azhar shuts down ‘Hania Amir’ chants at literary festival

    ‘IBA ya Pagal khaana’: Asim Azhar shuts down ‘Hania Amir’ chants at literary festival

    Asim Azhar was attending a literary festival held at the Institute of Public and Business Adminstration (IBA) when he was heckled by some members of the crowd while talking to Yasir Hussain. The crowd began taunting the singer by chanting the name of Hania Amir, the actress Asim had previously dated.

    In a viral video clip, Asim can be seen shutting down the misogynist chants by responding “IBA hai ya pagal khaana?”

    Yasir also slammed the hecklers by telling them to act like educated people.

    We have to applaud Asim for refusing to be bullied by hecklers. It’s not so hard to understand that nobody deserves to be taunted in such a demeaning manner about their private lives, let alone at an institute that is recognised as one of the superior universities of Pakistan.

  • HR Lawyer Moniza Kakkar’s account reported by PTA for speaking about Afghans

    HR Lawyer Moniza Kakkar’s account reported by PTA for speaking about Afghans

    Human Rights Lawyer and activist Moniza Kakar has been active on Twitter to show the suffering caused by the government policy of repatriation of Afghans. She has been vocal about the Pashtun community getting deported while being mistaken for Afghans. Her reporting and advocacy of the rights of refugees has gained her the ire of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) which has sent a complaint to Twitter, stating that her account is posting against the policies of the state.

    She posted screenshots of the email she received from Twitter on her account, stating that in the interest of transparency, “we are writing to inform you that Twitter has received a request from PTA regarding your Twitter account, @Moni-Kakar, that claims the following content violated LAW of Pakistan.”

    To this, former Senator and leader of the National Democratic Movement Afrasiab Khattak responded, “HR lawyering is not easy in Pakistan”.

    While talking to The Current, Moniza seemed unfazed, stating, “Aise kam karein ge to zahir si bat hai kuch to masail ka samna karna parta hai [When we do things like these, then of course we have to face some problems].”

    She went on to explain that this time round, Twitter has been requested to block her account altogether. She has also posted the tweet that has been referred to the Twitter team by PTA. It was a video showing a documented Afghan refugee, outside the holding centre in Karachi, whose wife and two-month-old were picked up by the police in a raid.
    Upon asking if she has another account on social media, she mentioned that her LinkedIn profile is active.

  • Imran Khan should receive ‘exemplary punishment’ for May 9 attacks, says Sindh Governor

    Imran Khan should receive ‘exemplary punishment’ for May 9 attacks, says Sindh Governor

    Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori has called for severe punishment for Imran Khan, the Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, emphasizing that the former Prime Minister should be held accountable for planning and carrying out the attacks that targeted the Pakistan Army in various cities of Pakistan.

    Speaking at a press conference held at the Pakistan High Commission in London, the Governor stated that he believes Khan should have been swiftly punished within a week after the attacks to send a strong message to deter others from trying to harm the country’s armed forces in a similar way.
    “I believe that those involved in the May 9 attacks should not have been processed through the courts, they should have been publicly sentenced. Those put in jail should have been sentenced a long time ago for their attacks on Pakistan army installations, for attacking the corp commander’s house, for attacking the [General Headquarters] GHQ, for attacking the Pakistan Army physically and for the vandalism. What they did were acts of terrorism.

    “Nobody anywhere is allowed to attack even a police station. Protests happen all over the world but terrorism and vandalism are not allowed in the civilised world. It shouldn’t be like this where you get involved in acts of terror and then the cases go on in courts for years without any punishment for anyone. Our patriotism demands it,” he said.

    Tessori emphasized that we shouldn’t forget that the events of May 9 made Pakistan look bad in front of the entire world. The attackers showed no respect for the people who died and their families. Those who were responsible for these actions also showed a great lack of respect for the people who protect our country.

  • Is Fawad Chaudhry a charpai chor?

    Is Fawad Chaudhry a charpai chor?

    Chaudhry Nauman Asif, a resident of Pind Dadan Khan in District Jhelum, has accused former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry of stealing six sacks of urea fertilizer and six sacks of DAP fertilizer from his house.

    A First Information Report (FIR) registered on November 3, 2023 says.

    The complainant claimed that Fawad Chaudhry stole four ‘charpai’ [charpoy] from his house as well.

    During a telephonic conversation with The Current, Nauman was asked why he didn’t lodge an FIR immediately after the incident. “At that time, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was in power, no one was ready to register an FIR against Fawad Chaudhry.”

    The complainant also accused the former federal minister of being involved in the murder of his brother.

    Fawad Chaudhry is currently in Adiala jail on a 14-day judicial remand in a fraud case.