Tag: Pakistan

  • Prize money for informants against smuggling, hoarding, illegal immigrants, says Sarfaraz Bugti

    Prize money for informants against smuggling, hoarding, illegal immigrants, says Sarfaraz Bugti

    Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said in a media talk on Sunday that the federal administration will have zero tolerance against smuggling. He also said that the caretaker government will give prize money to those who provide information on smuggling, hoarding, and illegal immigrants.

    In a joint press conference with the caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi, Sarfaraz Bugti also stressed that all state institutions will go to any length to eliminate the menace of smuggling and hoarding in the country.

    The caretaker government recovered sugar and urea in a very large quantity in different parts of the country, and operations against wheat, sugar, urea, dollars, and other commodities is still continuing, he added.

    Almost 59 people who were involved in the illegal business of Hundi-Hawala have also been arrested, the security czar said.

    “But what is ironic is that now the elements involved in smuggling have started hoarding various things,” he added.

    On a question regarding terrorist attacks from Afghanistan, Bugti said that the neighbouring country should abide by the Doha Agreement, which is a surety that Afghan soil will not be used against any country.

  • FC official killed in targeted Peshawar blast, eight injured

    A vehicle belonging to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa FC’s Mohmand Rifles regiment was targeted Monday morning at 10:30am in Peshawar. According to the Warsak Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Arshad Khan the blast occurred when the vehicle was headed toward Peshawar from Machni.

    A Frontier Constabulary (FC) official was martyred and eight others, including two civilians were injured. The blast took place near Prime Hospital Complex on Peshawar’s Warsak Road.

    The incident took place just one day after acting interim Minister Sarfraz Bugti downplayed the rise in militancy in the country, stating there was no need for fear since “a little surge [in terrorism] is not so big as to make us panic.”

  • MDCAT candidates caught cheating via Bluetooth

    MDCAT candidates caught cheating via Bluetooth

    Dozens of candidates have 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.

    Moreover, police received reports of MDCAT paper getting leaked via Bluetooth devices.

    Initially, FIRs were lodged at police stations Sharqi, Faqirabad and Pahari Pura. All the 43 candidates were later released on personal surety and will be produced before the court on September 11.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Secretary has issued instructions on tracking down government officials involved in cheating and to bring the facilitators to justice. He also asked the IT Board and higher education department to ameliorate their test strategy.

  • 31 cities accommodate more than 180,000 MDCAT candidates

    31 cities accommodate more than 180,000 MDCAT candidates

    Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) conducted this year’s MDCAT on Sunday. The paper-based exam took place in centres across the country.

    PMDC President Professor Dr Rizwan Taj said that a total of 180,534 students from Pakistan appeared in the MDCAT exam. 180,151 registered candidates appeared in national venues whereas 382 candidates appeared at two international centres; 185 candidates in Dubai and 197 candidates in Saudi Arabia.

    Punjab hosted 66,875 candidates, Sindh 40,528, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 46439, Balochistan 9,230, Gilgit 926, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 4,036 and Islamabad 12,118.

    The candidates were accommodated in 31 different cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Sialkot, DG Khan, Sargodha, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Karachi, Jamshoro, Dera Ismail Khan, Malakand, Nawabshah, Swat, Swabi, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu, Abbottabad, Quetta, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Huripur, Larkana, Mansehra, and Mirpur.

    Dr. Taj pointed that special assistance had been provided to candidates with special needs or handicaps to fill out answer sheets.

    As per the spokesperson of the Sindh Medical University, MDCAT results will come out after around one week.

  • American retailer sells Pakistani Servis Cheetahs as ‘Taliban’s favourite shoe,’ priced over Rs30,000

    American retailer sells Pakistani Servis Cheetahs as ‘Taliban’s favourite shoe,’ priced over Rs30,000

    An American online shopping platform known as “Americana Pipedream” is offering Pakistani Servis Cheetah high-top shoes, which are advertised as “The Taliban’s Favourite Shoe” and are priced at approximately Rs30,500 ($99). 

    Screenshot from Americana Pipedream Website

    The website lists these shoes for individuals who wish to emulate the Taliban’s style, and the company claims that “the Servis Cheetah is a highly popular running and sports shoe in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Much of its notoriety stems from its use by the Taliban, Mujahideen, and even Afghan Security Forces over the past 40 years. 

    These Servis Cheetahs are brand new and originate from Pakistan, a shoe brand that is not commonly found in the American market. 

    Interestingly, despite the platform’s strong promotion of these shoes as the “Taliban’s favourite,” the details section acknowledges that they are rare to come by in the United States and suggests that the quality may not be top-notch due to their Pakistani origin. 

    Furthermore, upon conducting research, it was discovered that the exact same shoes are sold by Servis Pakistan for Rs2,799. 

    Screenshot from official Servis Pakistan Website

    The website appears to specialise in promoting clothing and accessories associated with the Taliban and similar themes. Other products featured on the website include Afghan War Rugs & Accessories, new apparel and accessories, books, camping and outdoor gear, axes and knives, tactical gear, pipes and accessories, vintage clothing, Phantomleaf camouflage, clearance items, night vision devices, and various military surplus items categorised by style and country of origin, including Swiss Surplus, Balkan Surplus, Greek Surplus, German & Austrian Surplus, Romanian Surplus, Vintage US Military Clothing, and British Surplus. 

  • Usman Dar ‘abducted’, PTI demands immediate release

    Usman Dar ‘abducted’, PTI demands immediate release

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said on Saturday that party leader Usman Dar has been “abducted”, demanding that the Sialkot native be recovered and presented in court, Geo News has reported.

    “First it was Aoun Abbas Buppi, then Sadaqat Abbasi, and now Usman Dar has been abducted,” the party wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

    Usman Dar is the latest in a number of PTI leaders and officials who have encountered cases and incarceration after the May 9 riots.
    PTI leader Farrukh Habib said in a tweet on Saturday that Dar “be brought to light immediately and presented in court if there was a case against him so Dar could exercise his right to defend himself and his family could meet him”.

    Earlier, Dar had said that his house, factory, and business in Sialkot were sealed in August. He had also said in one of his statements that his family members, including women, were left helpless.

  • Pakistani women are sharing their unpopular opinions about marriage on Twitter

    Pakistani women are sharing their unpopular opinions about marriage on Twitter

    If you could share an unpopular opinion about marriage, what would you say?

    Pakistani women are sharing cold hard facts with this trend on X (formerly Twitter), sharing their frank opinions about marriage. Since desi societies predominantly consider marriages to be a system arranged without a woman’s consent or opinion, many women shared what they thought about relationships, living with parents and other issues Pakistanis should really consider listening to.

    We completely have to side with this one. Your wives are not hired helpers for your home or your parents.

    Never take any excuses like this from someone who claims to love you.

    https://twitter.com/HamadRajpvt/status/1700195083272732771?s=20

    Please also adding ‘Nikkahfied’ in their bio is super cringey.

    When will desi people even listen to this?

    Normalize small weddings!

    https://twitter.com/girlwithwingss/status/1700024689475891622?s=20

    Marry someone who is self-confident and makes sure he never burdens you with his demands

    https://twitter.com/crocsnroses/status/1700154712937410594?s=20

  • 2 out of 3 Pakistani marriages are between cousins

    Chakor, an Instagram-based platform providing data-driven insights, recently compiled statistics on cousin-marriages in Pakistan

    According to Chakor’s data, nearly 2 out of every 3 Pakistani marriages are between cousins. The organisation claims that Pakistan has one of the highest rates of marriages between cousins in the world.

    They further highlighted medical evidence about how detrimental cousin-marriages can be for women’s reproductive health, adding that such marriages can cause serious health complications for the child.

  • Pakistan’s textile exports dip 6% in August 2023, posing economic challenges

    Pakistan’s textile exports dip 6% in August 2023, posing economic challenges

    Pakistan’s textile sector has experienced a continued decline in exports, with provisional data released by the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) indicating that in August, exports reached $1.48 billion, down by 6 per cent compared to the same month in the previous year when they stood at $1.58 billion.

    Moreover, the data reveals that Pakistan’s textile exports for the first eight months of the calendar year 2023 have seen a significant drop of 19 per cent, totaling $10.58 billion, as opposed to the $13 billion recorded during the equivalent period in 2022. This year-on-year decline raises concerns for Pakistan’s economy, especially in light of its foreign exchange shortage, which has already led to a depreciation of the rupee by more than 25 per cent in the inter-bank market since the beginning of 2023.

    However, there is a glimmer of optimism as monthly figures indicate a 13 per cent improvement in textile exports, rising to $1.48 billion in August compared to $1.31 billion recorded in July.

  • Pakistani legendary singer honoured with Queen Elizabeth award

    Pakistan’s celebrated singer Shazia Manzoor has been honored in Ontario, Canada on Friday with The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pin. The award was presented by Canadian politician Shafqat Ali, who praised the veteran singer for her contribution to arts and culture.

    “It was such an honour to host Shazia Manzoor, a recognized and renowned Pakistani singer, and to recognize her for her contribution to art and culture and her commitment to bringing South Asian communities together through her song It was such a blessing to meet the acclaimed Pride of Performance of Pakistan and to award her with Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pin Thank you for visiting and we hope to see you again soon.”

    The singer thanked this dedication by writing in the comments section: “Thank you so much shafqat bhai ❤”

    Shazia Manzoor was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and rose to fame with song like ‘Chan Mere Makhna’, ‘Tu Badal Gaya Sajna’ and ‘Dil Mod De’.