Tag: Pakistan

  • Indian-made iPhone 15 units expected to reach Pakistan soon

    Indian-made iPhone 15 units expected to reach Pakistan soon

    Apple is expected to release iPhone 15 units manufactured in India for sale in India and other countries. This means that we might also see these made in India iPhones in Pakistan, as Pakistani mobile sellers import iPhones from various countries like China, Japan, Hong Kong, and the US. While these Indian-made iPhones may not arrive in Pakistan directly from India, they are likely to become available as they enter international markets.

    Unfortunately, there are no official Apple stores in Pakistan, and there are limited authorised Apple product sellers. It remains uncertain how many iPhones made in India will be available in Pakistan in the future, but as Indian iPhone production increases, we can expect to see more of them.

    Although the majority of iPhone 15 units will still come from China, Apple’s efforts to scale production in India are making progress, reducing its reliance on Chinese manufacturing. Apple began assembling previous iPhone generations in India in 2017 and has been producing flagship iPhones there since 2020. The company aims to increase its production in India from 7 per cent to 25 per cent by 2025. However, there may still be some delays due to logistical challenges.

    Closing the production gap between China and India is crucial for Apple, as it provides a reliable manufacturing alternative and helps the company comply with India’s Make in India law to avoid steep tariffs. This move also aligns with Apple’s strategy to navigate geopolitical issues and local labour disputes.

    Given recent Chinese nationalism, which encourages the use of domestic brands like Huawei, this shift in production location is timely. Despite their high cost and the requirement for PTA approval in Pakistan, Apple iPhones remain popular among those who can afford them.

  • Environmental Protection Agency seals brick kilns, impounds cars

    Environmental Protection Agency seals brick kilns, impounds cars

    In a crackdown by the Rawalpindi Environmental Protection Department, 12 brick kilns and six stone crushing units have been sealed while 33 vehicles have been seized for violating environmental laws.

    Express Tribune reported that as per a spokesperson, the purpose of the operation is to counter increasing smog in the region.

    Authorities also identified numerous dengue larvae breeding sites during the operation, and filed cases against 35 property owners, sealing 20 properties.

    The operation was conducted by Environment Protection Department Deputy Director Maria Safeer, Senior Inspector Romaisa Babar and inspectors Maqbool Hussain, Mohsen Shah and Inamul Haque.

    After inspecting 350 vehicles, 124 smoke-emitting cars were issued challans by the authorities, 33 were impounded, and a total fine of Rs228,800 was imposed.

    Similarly, 152 brick kilns were thoroughly examined which revealed that 18 of them were emitting excessive smoke.

    Cases against seven kiln owners have also been filed.

    Additionally, eight hospitals received notices for contributing to pollution, with two of them being charged accordingly.

  • Judges disagreement only on constitutional cases coming to court: CJP Bandial

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Atta Bandial has said on Wednesday that judges of the apex court only disagree on whether constitutional cases should come to the Supreme Court (SC) or not.

    While addressing a ceremony hosted by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in his honour, the Chief Justice said that judges only disagree on whether constitutional cases should come directly to the apex court or not. “There is no contradiction amongst us on constitutional principles,” he stated, emphasizing that the apex court and judiciary are the protectors of the constitution.

    A large numbers of lawyers along with nearly all SC judges attended the farewell dinner ceremony, however, Justices Yahya Afridi and Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi didn’t attend the event.

    CJP Bandial is going to retire on September 16, while Justice Qazi Faez Isa will be the next CJP, joining office on September 17.

  • 10-year-old Fatima case: Suspect Asad Shah appears in court

    10-year-old Fatima case: Suspect Asad Shah appears in court

    Pir Asad Shah, compounder Imtiaz and driver Ijaz were produced in an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in the rape and suspicious death of 10-year-old Fatima in Ranipur Haveli, Khairpur.

    The suspects were produced in the court after the completion of seven day physical remand.

    According to the Khairpur police, the investigation has not been completed yet, so they will seek further remand.

    Khairpur police has also said that Hina Shah and father Fayaz Shah, also accused in the case, are still on the run.

    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 where two of Fatima’s sisters were also employed.

    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 in social media that the case caught 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.

  • Weird that specific party knows election date, says Bilawal Bhutto

    Weird that specific party knows election date, says Bilawal Bhutto

    The chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has said on Wednesday that it’s weird that only one party knows the election date.
    Bilawal Bhutto didn’t take the name of any party, but his statement was about the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as President Arif Alvi proposed November 6 as the date for the country’s general elections in response to the appeal from his party.
    The former foreign minister also said that one party cannot resolve the issues in the country. “All parties will have to sit together to take the country out of this crisis.”

    “The PPP is answerable for its ministries and the PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement] for its own,” Bilawal added.
    “As far as the PTI is concerned, those who were involved in the May 9 attacks, it is very difficult for us [to hold talks with them],” Bilawal said, adding, “An incompetent and ineligible prime minister was imposed due to which [country] had to face a crisis at the economic and foreign level.”

  • Child missing since 15 hours found stuck in sewer

    Child missing since 15 hours found stuck in sewer

    A two-year-old missing child from Karachi’s Shah Latif Town was discovered in a sewer 15 hours later on Wednesday.

    The boy, Zohan, was found in a semi-conscious state, exposed to severe mosquito bites while he was stuck in the sewer.

    According to Zohan’s father, Sadaqat Khan, the boy went missing on Saturday.

    He had been searching for Zohan with the help of his relatives, neighbors and local residents around the premises including Zafar Town and Gaddafi Town.

    They even made announcements in mosques but Zohan was nowhere to be found.

    They went through the CCTV footage from the location where Zohan disappeared which revealed that Zohan was with a nine-year-old child named Abdullah at the time of his disappearance.

    According to the father, Abdullah was visiting someone in the neighbourhood as a guest from Gulshan-e-Maymar.

    Abdullah’s maternal uncle interrogated him till he revealed that Abdullah had pushed Zohan into a sewer.

    Everyone hurried to the sewer where Zohan was found in a semi-conscious state.

    Khan described that the sewer had no water but a lot of filth was present inside.

  • Sara Sharif’s father, stepmother arrested in UK

    Sara Sharif’s father, stepmother arrested in UK

    10-year-old Sara Sharif’s father Urfan Sharif, stepmother Beinash Batool, and her uncle flew back to the UK as law enforcing agencies in Pakistan kept pursuing them. The trio has been arrested from Gatwick Airport where they surrendered to the police, BBC has reported.

    Raja Haq Nawaz, a lawyer for Urfan Sharif’s father Muhammad Sharif, told DAWN that the suspects were not arrested and that their flight left from Sialkot, Punjab.

    Previously, Jhelum police shifted Urfan Sharif’s five children to the Child Protection Bureau after a local court granted permission to the police to do so. The children were to be in the Bureau’s custody till the parents were found and arrested.

    A day before that, Sharif’s children, found in their grandfather’s house, were taken into protective custody by the police as the hunt continued for their father and stepmother.

    RPO Khurram Ali claimed that police is “conducting raids at possible hideouts for their arrests”.

    He had also clarified that the three suspects will not be able to flee Pakistan as FIA’s Immigration Wing had put staff on alert at all airports.

    The couple also released a video in which Batool touched upon media reporting of Sara’s death, claiming that they both will cooperate with UK authorities, and that they were on the run in Pakistan because the family feared that the Pakistan police will torture and kill them.

    The Case
    On August 10, 10-year-old Sara Sharif was found dead in her home in Woking, England, when her father, Urfan Sharif, called 999 from Pakistan.

    Nadeem Riaz, shop owner and a travelling agent, has known Sharif for 11 years.
    During an interview with The Times, he recalled that on August 8, he booked a one-way tickets to Pakistan on urgent basis, claiming that his cousin died.

    On August 9, Sharif, his wife Beinash Batool, their five children and Sharif’s brother Faisal Malik left for Islamabad from the UK on a British Airways flight.

    The next day, Urfan Sharif called 999 after which the police found Sara’s body at home. Surrey Police then began an investigation along with international partners. The same day, after arriving at Islamabad, the family travelled to Jhelum. The police kept on tracking them as they left for Domeli late on August 12, and then left Domeli the very next day. This was the last location tracked.

    On August 15, Pakistan police received a request from International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) via FIA to hunt them down.

  • Naseem out, Zaman in; Rauf to possibly play today against Sri Lanka

    Naseem out, Zaman in; Rauf to possibly play today against Sri Lanka

    Right-arm fast bowler Zaman Khan has replaced Naseem Shah in today’s Asia Cup 2023 match against Sri Lanka.

    According to a press release issued by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Naseem Shah got injured on Monday in the last match against India. Pakistan team’s medical panel is continuously monitoring his health as the upcoming one-day international World Cup is going to start on October 5.

    Zaman Khan joined the team on Thursday and will bowl against Sri Lanka in today’s crucial match.

    PCB also said about pacer Haris Rauf that he “continues to recover well” after he felt discomfort in his right flank in the match against India.

    “These two fast bowlers are our assets, and the team’s medical panel will provide them the best possible care ahead of the all-important World Cup,” the press release quoted the team’s doctor, Sohail Saleem, as saying.

    Shahnwaz Dhani also joined the 17-player squad on Thursday.

  • Will iPhone 15 Pro Max in Pakistan surpass the price of a Hyundai SUV in India?

    Will iPhone 15 Pro Max in Pakistan surpass the price of a Hyundai SUV in India?

    The iPhone 15 Pro Max with 256 GB of storage is initially priced at $1,100 in the United States, which, at the current exchange rate of Rs295, translates to approximately Rs325,000 in Pakistani rupee (PKR).

    However, it’s anticipated that the cost will significantly rise in Pakistan due to additional expenses like Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) approval and retailer margins.

    Given the precedent set by the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which currently retails for Rs540,000 in Pakistan, we expect the starting price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max to be around Rs555,000 or possibly even higher once local mobile shop owners import and sell them.

    Apple iPhones generally have higher price tags in Pakistan due to taxes and PTA approval fees, making it challenging to pinpoint the exact cost.

    Nonetheless, it’s reasonable to assume it will exceed Rs500,000, considering that the iPhone 14 Pro Max is already priced above this threshold in Pakistan.

    Additionally, a Pakistani website called Phonebolee suggests an expected price of PKR 643,999 for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.

    In terms of comparisons to India, a report by DNA India highlights the astonishing prices of iPhones in Pakistan. It notes that the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, priced over Rs7.3 lakh in Pakistan, surpasses the cost of a Hyundai Exter 5-seater SUV, which is priced at INR 5.99 lakh in India.

    However, it’s important to be cautious about such comparisons, as they might not accurately reflect the actual market dynamics.

    Keep in mind that the exact price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max in Pakistan can vary among different retailers.

    Additionally, the exchange rate between the Indian rupee and the Pakistani rupee is approximately 1 INR to PKR 3.56. So, when comparing the INR 600,000 price of an SUV, it equates to approximately Rs2,136,800, or Rs2.1 million in Pakistani rupees, which is significantly higher than the expected price of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.

  • Police chief tells court Imran Riaz investigation heading in ‘right direction’

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) adjourned till next week a hearing in the Imran Riaz recovery case as the Punjab Police chief told the court that investigation is heading in “right direction”.

    Television anchor and YouTuber Imran Riaz was arrested two days after May 9 riots, following former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest. After the journalist’s arrest, he was taken to Cantt police station and then transferred to Sialkot jail.

    After this a law officer told the court on May 15 that Imran Riaz has been released from the jail after giving an undertaking in writing. His family and lawyer, however , were still not aware of his whereabouts.

    An FIR was registered against “unidentified persons” for allegedly kidnapping the journalist.
    In the previous hearing on September 6, conducted by LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti, the Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar said there was “positive progress” in the case.

    “We will give good news in the next 10 to 15 days,” he told the court. The hearing was then adjourned till today.