Tag: Pakistan

  • Bakhtawar Bhutto, Ayesha Omar, celebrities, slam Karachi Zoo after Noor Jehan suffers fall

    Bakhtawar Bhutto, Ayesha Omar, celebrities, slam Karachi Zoo after Noor Jehan suffers fall

    Trigger warning: distressing video

    Karachi Zoo’s ailing elephant Noor Jehan suffered another setback on Thursday after she fell into a concrete pond inside her pen. According to Karachi Times, the elephant had to be pulled out with the help of cranes and was not moving much after that.

    Speaking to Geo News, Safari Park Director Kanwar Ayub said that the unfortunate accident happened on Thursday night, leading to worsening of Noor Jehan’s pain. He further added that her treatment was still being supervised by foreign doctors.

    Activists and celebrities slammed the Zoo’s management authorities for mishandling animals and the overall poor state of the facility.

    Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari shared a video of Noor Jehan in distress on Twitter, demanding that the zoo should be shut down because of it’s inability to provide proper facilities to animals.

    “#KarachiZoo should be shut down because it is clearly beyond the capacity of KMC.”

    Actress Ayesha Omar too posted a video clip of Noor Jehan on her Instagram page, asking her followers about how could they help in ensuring the elephant receives proper treatment.

    Actor Yashma Gill shared a video clip on her Instagram stories of Noor Jehan, and wrote that for the sake of Ramzan, the zoo needs to shut down.

    “Please for the sake of this holy month join hands in this cause and help in BOYCOTTING this zoo culture!”

    Nadia Jamil prayed that the elephant’s critical condition is ressolved as she shared a clip of Noor Jehan after her surgery

    Veteran actress Simi Rahael shared a tweet that slammed Karachi Zoo’s administration for the poor condition of Noor Jehan, and in the caption she shared the hashtag #banzoo and #stopanimalcruelty

    International animal relief organization Four Paws also posted updates from their Twitter account, stating that they had coordinated all night with the local team to try and save the elephant’s life.

    Earlier, Four Paws had flown its veterinarians to Karachi to operate on Noor Jehan after her condition had gotten worse. In a press release, they had written that in 2021, the organisation had strongly recommended that both elephants should be shifted from Karachi Zoo as the facilities there do not comply with international standards. However, no such measures were taken by the authorities.

    On April 5, Dr Amir Khalil, the head of Four Paws, revealed that the surgery on Noor Jehan had been successful, hoping that authorities would comply with the organization by relocating both elephants, Noor Jehan and Madhubala, to a proper facility equipped to handle the animals.

    On April 7, Times of Karachi announced that the Director of Karachi Zoo, Khalid Hashmi, had been suspended due to negligence and mismanagement which had led to Noor Jehan’s illness.

  • IMF receives assurance of $1 billion from UAE to support Pakistan’s economy

    IMF receives assurance of $1 billion from UAE to support Pakistan’s economy

    In a significant development towards reviving the stalled bailout programme, the authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have pledged to provide $1 billion in bilateral support to Pakistan, according to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

    Dar tweeted, “UAE authorities have confirmed to the IMF for their bilateral support of $1 billion to Pakistan.” He also stated that the State Bank of Pakistan is currently in the process of completing the necessary documentation to receive the deposit from the UAE authorities.

    Pakistan was required to provide assurance that its balance of payments deficit is fully financed for the remaining period of the IMF programme, which has been stalled since November last year. Last month, the IMF’s Director of Strategic Communications, Julie Kozack, emphasised that “timely financial assistance from external partners will be critical to support the authorities’ policy efforts and ensure the successful completion of the review [with Pakistan].” She added, “Ensuring that there is sufficient financing to support the authorities is the paramount priority. A Staff Level Agreement (SLA) will follow once the few remaining points are closed.”

    Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia also pledged to provide a $2 billion loan to Pakistan, according to Pakistan’s Minister of State for Finance Aisha Ghaus Pasha. The country’s economic situation has been further exacerbated by months of political and economic turmoil, crippling floods last year and record inflation. Pakistan has been grappling with a debt crisis and foreign exchange reserves have fallen to less than four weeks of imports.

    In an effort to ease the situation, China has agreed to refinance $2 billion, of which $1.7 billion has already been credited to Pakistan’s central bank. China also rolled over a $2 billion loan last month, providing relief during Pakistan’s acute balance of payments crisis. However, talks with the IMF for a delayed $1.1 billion loan tranche, part of the bailout agreed in 2019, have been ongoing.

  • After federal govt, Punjab also gives five days off for Eid

    After federal govt, Punjab also gives five days off for Eid

    The Punjab government on Friday announced that holidays will extend from April 21 to 25 on account of Eid ul Fitr.

    On Thursday, the federal government had also announced a five-day holiday for Eid.

    The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is set to meet on April 20 for sighting of the Eid ul Fitr crescent moon, a statement from the religious affairs ministry said on Tuesday.

    This year, the holy month of Ramazan started on March 23.

  • Justice Mussarat Hilali unanimously recommended to be appointed as PHC chief justice

    Justice Mussarat Hilali unanimously recommended to be appointed as PHC chief justice

    The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has unanimously recommended the name of Justice Mussarat Hilali for appointment as the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

    JCP has sent its recommendation to the parliamentary committee for approval. The commission unanimously recommended the appointment of Justice Hilali during a meeting with Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial.

    Upon the retirement of PHC Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan, on March 30, the most senior judge of the court, Justice Noorul Amin Khan was appointed as the acting CJ. But his stint lasted only a day.

    After Justice Khan’s retirement on March 31, a day after he took over as the acting CJ, Justice Hilali was appointed as the first woman acting chief justice of the PHC.

    Born in Peshawar on August 08, 1961, Justice Hilali received a degree in law from Khyber Law College, Peshawar University and enrolled as an Advocate of District Courts in 1983, as an Advocate of the High Court in 1988 and as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2006.

    She was also the first female Additional Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from November 2001 to March 2004.

    She was elevated to the bench as an additional judge on March 26, 2013, and confirmed as a permanent judge of the Peshawar High Court on March 13, 2014.

  • Pakistan’s sustainable policy framework crucial to avoid default risk, says IMF

    Pakistan’s sustainable policy framework crucial to avoid default risk, says IMF

    Whilst serving as Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar has repeatedly assured the public that Pakistan has not defaulted and will not do so in the future. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has endorsed Dar’s views and stated that Pakistan has not yet reached the level of default.

    Speaking at a news conference during the spring meeting of Breton Wood Institutions at the Fund’s headquarters in Washington, Georgieva said that the Fund was seeking confirmation from international partners to meet Pakistan’s financing gap requirements. Responding to a question about Pakistan’s looming default risk, she stated that the country had not yet reached that level, but required a sustainable policy framework to avert such risks.

    Georgieva emphasized that the lender has been working closely with the authorities in Pakistan, within the context of the current programme, to ensure that the country has the policy framework in place to prevent reaching the point of unsustainable debt. Pakistan has less than a month’s worth of foreign exchange reserves and is awaiting a $1.1 billion bailout package from the IMF that has been delayed since November due to issues related to fiscal policy adjustments.

    Georgieva expressed hope that, with the goodwill of all parties involved and the implementation of what has already been agreed upon by the Pakistan authorities, the current programme can be completed successfully. Islamabad is required to provide assurance that its balance of payments deficit is fully financed for the fiscal year ending in June in order to unlock the next tranche of IMF funding.

    During the IMF-World Bank spring meetings, Dar attended via Zoom from Islamabad with IMF Deputy Managing Director Antoinette Moniso Sayeh. Sources report that Sayeh stated that Pakistan has yet to meet its external financing gap of $6 billion, of which $3 billion would need to be financed before striking a staff-level agreement.

    At this point, the State Bank of Pakistan’s Jameel Ahmed, who is presently in Washington, reportedly told participants that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had shared a draft agreement for the provision of an additional $1 billion deposit to meet the requirement for signing the staff-level agreement. A top official expressed hope that the UAE deposit would be confirmed shortly and suggested that it may be confirmed as early as next week.

    Regarding the cross-fuel subsidy, the IMF was informed that it was only an idea floated by a relevant ministry and would be implemented only after an agreement on the salient features of the scheme. The Pakistani authorities agreed with the IMF that the scheme appeared good on paper but its transparent implementation would be challenging.

  • Wahaj Ali, Hareem Farooq’s upcoming drama ’22 Qadam’ is an ode to women in sports

    If fans haven’t had enough of Wahaj Ali in ‘Tere Bin’ and ‘Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha’ then they’re in for a treat. His next drama is unique because it explores the issue of women in sports.

    Ali shared a first look of the venture where he will be playing a cricketer, writing on Instagram about the drama’s premise which is about supporting women cricket players.

    “As a society we need to promote women coming into all professional fields – from sports to sciences. The roots of 22 Qadam are embedded in inspiring and taking pride in the dreams and achievements of our women.”

    The female lead of this drama is going to be played by ‘Sar-e-Rah’ actor Hareem Farooq, who will essay the role of a small town girl named Fari, who dreams of becoming a cricketer.

    The Current reached out to Farooq on why she had chosen to become a part of this project, and she responded:

    “When we came up with this concept, the thought behind it was that we need to empower women in the best way possible and there is no way better than projecting women in sports. Cricket, especially being the most loved sport in South-Asia.”

    Farooq also reflected on how women like Sana Mir, who is a commentator and former cricket captain, served as inspiration for the drama by breaking stereotypes:

    “The first person that comes to our mind when you talk about women and cricket is Sana Mir, she’s been an inspiration for so many women out there. It is just about breaking stereotypes and the taboos out there that women can also excel in sports, and if nothing else it makes you more independent and gives you that confidence that allows you to face the world in the best way possible.”

    Hareem Farooq said that she feels that society needs the kind of entertainment where people are not just enjoying themselves but are also educated that stereotypes and taboos can be broken. “Even women, infact everybody, can achieve their dreams if they’re passionate about it.”

    Speaking about her character, the actress said that her character Fari dreams of playing for the national cricket team and making her country proud:

    “I play the character of Fari, who is this bubbly and happy girl who wants to spread joy and happiness where ever she goes. But she has a dream and a passion she wants to follow and she is determined to do that. In this way breaking stereotypes and taboos by playing for the national team and make her country proud, and make her parents proud. It is a journey of achieving that dream and the up’s and down’s she goes through, and how or will she ever be able to achieve that dream.”

    In many ways, Farooq says that ’22 Qadam’ is a groundbreaking show because it is “the voice of the unheard.”

    The drama is written by Zeeshan Ilyas and directed by Anjum Shahzad.

  • Pakistan moves closer to finalising oil deal with Russia as team arrives in Karachi

    Pakistan has taken a step forward in its efforts to secure a loan deal with Russia, as a delegation has arrived in Karachi to finalise a crude oil deal with Pakistan State Oil (PSO). However, the Energy Ministry has not yet revealed the payment method or the discount rate for the crude oil prices, keeping it confidential for now.

    Technical teams from the Operational Services Centre held talks with the PSO team last month, but progress was not made on the constitution of a Special Purpose Vehicle responsible for importing crude and making payments. The Russian delegation is now in Pakistan to finalise the government-to-government agreement, including the mode of payment. Pakistan wants to pay in rupee, while Russia is asking for payment in China’s Yuan or Ruble. Once the deal is done, Pakistan will place an order with Russia for crude oil purchase.

    According to sources, the Russian ship will arrive in mid-May, and the current Brent price in the international market is $85.16 per barrel, while Russian oil is available at $47-48 per barrel. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is asking local banks to open letters of credit for importing Russian oil, but they are hesitant to do so mainly because of the G7 countries’ regulations of following the price cap of $60 per barrel or below it and making payments under Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) arrangement.

    PSO has never imported crude oil before, and refineries have been importing crude under long-term agreements from ADNOC and Saudi Aramco. However, in the case of Russian crude, refineries will not be involved in the import, but it will be an SPV with representatives from PSO and PSC. Pakistan may get Russian crude price with a discount close to $50 per barrel, $10 per barrel below the cap price imposed by G7 countries on Russian oil in the wake of the war on Ukraine.

    One of the top officials in the coalition government suggests that the decision to import Russian crude under the government-to-government agreement at a 30 per cent discount may not provide the required relief as shipping and refining costs will erode the maximum discount. Additionally, Pakistan refineries will only be able to extract 10 per cent MS out of Ural crude and 50 per cent furnace oil.

    The government needs to conduct a commercial analysis to determine if importing Russian oil will benefit Pakistan’s economy and to what extent. Industrial sources suggest that the government should evaluate the economic benefits of importing Russian oil carefully.

  • ‘Nawaz was given assurances PTI would be crushed’: Khan lashes out after security chief’s arrest

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s security chief, Iftikhar Rasool Ghumman in a case pertaining to charges of money laundering.

    Condemning the arrest, the PTI chief said people close to him were being harassed, abducted and tortured.

    Taking to his official Twitter account, Imran wrote: “When Ali Amin was abducted, the DPO told sessions judge in DIK [Dera Ismail Khan] that he would take a contempt charge but had to take custody of Ali Amin as orders came from above.

    “Today, my security in-charge Iftikhar Ghumman has been abducted. This is all part of the London Plan where Nawaz Sharif was given assurances PTI would be crushed.”

    “So now people close to me, along with my leadership, are being harassed, abducted, tortured and confronted with sham cases across Pakistan in total violation of the Constitution and rule of law.”

  • Govt vs Supreme Court: Ruling alliance rejects ‘controversial’ bench constituted to hear pleas on SC bill

    Govt vs Supreme Court: Ruling alliance rejects ‘controversial’ bench constituted to hear pleas on SC bill

    The ruling alliance on Thursday rejected the eight-member bench constituted earlier in the day to hear petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023.

    In a harshly worded statement, the coalition government vowed to resist attempts to remove parliament’s authority and interfere in its constitutional scope. The ruling parties further said, “such a move was never seen in the history of Pakistan and the Supreme Court”.

    The statement mentioned that top court judges — Justice Faez Isa and Justice Aminuddin Khan  — had in their earlier judgments openly expressed their objection to the “one-man show”, biased and dictatorial behaviour and the formation of special benches, while criticising the unchecked powers the Chief Justice of the apex court holds.

    “The constitution of the controversial bench in haste and fixing the bill for hearing, apart from the will and intent, also clearly expresses the decision to come, which is sad and tantamount to murder of justice,” the ruling alliance maintained.

    “With the formation of the eight-member controversial bench, the facts stated in the judgments of these honourable judges have become clearer,” the statement read.

    “The constitution of the controversial bench in haste and fixing the bill for hearing, apart from the will and intent, also clearly expresses the decision to come which is sad and tantamount to murder of justice,” the ruling alliance maintained.

    The bench set to hear plea against the bill comprises of Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bnadial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha A. Malik, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Shahid Waheed.

    The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023, is aimed at depriving the office of the CJP of powers to take suo motu notice in an individual capacity. It was initially passed by both houses of parliament and sent to the president for his assent. However, President Dr Arif Alvi had sent it back, saying that the proposed law travelled “beyond the competence of parliament”.

    The formation of the bench was met with surprise from the legal fraternity as the bill is yet to become law.

  • Pakistan’s auto sector records 98% sales growth in March despite high prices

    Pakistan’s auto sector records 98% sales growth in March despite high prices

    Despite high car prices, Pakistan’s auto sector has seen a growth of 98 per cent in March, selling about 7,201 units compared to 3,642 units sold in the previous month. The increase has provided a ray of hope to the auto sector, which has picked up some pace after several months.

    However, car sales, including sales of non-Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) vehicles, plunged 68 per cent in March compared to the same month last year, due to non-production days and a decline in purchasing power.

    The monthly growth is due to better volumetric sales of Pak Suzuki Motor Company (PSMC) and Indus Motors, which increased by 475 per cent and 6 per cent respectively on a month-on-month basis. Arif Habib Limited also stated that due to rising inflationary pressure, consumers have switched to affordable vehicles of below 1000cc, which increased by 423 per cent.

    Despite the recent growth, fears of a slowdown still exist due to measures taken by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to curb imports, resulting in production limitations as auto assemblers require prior permission to import completely knocked-down (CKD) units and raw materials.

    Sales of all other variants of cars, jeeps, tractors, pick-ups, three-wheelers and two-wheelers have also witnessed a year-on-year decline in March 2023, according to data released by PAMA a day earlier.

    In the first nine months of fiscal year 2022-23, 85,776 units were sold, down 50 per cent from 172,612 units sold during the same period in FY22. Sales of 1300cc and above cars were recorded at 2,913 units, down 67 per cent compared to the same month of the previous year’s sales of 9,280 units. In March 2023, 1,000cc cars recorded sales of 964 units, including 475 units of Suzuki Cultus and 489 units of Suzuki WagonR, against 2,410 units in the same month last year.

    Further breakdown of the data reveals that below 1000cc vehicles recorded a sale of 3,324 units, lower by 70 per cent than 11,109 units sold last year. Suzuki’s new Alto sold 2,542 units in March 2023 compared to 9,814 units in March 2022.

    Buses and trucks saw a decrease to 308 units in March from 565 units in the same month last year, while sales of jeeps and pick-ups decreased to 2,150 units from 4,403 units sold during the same period last year. Sales of tractors dropped to 2,984 units from 5,651 units in March 2022, while sales of rickshaws and motorbikes also decreased to 84,307 units in March against 151,010 units in the same period last year.

    PSMC recorded a jump of 475 per cent on a monthly basis to 5,628 units primarily due to the availability of CKD parts amid an easing of LC issues, while Indus Motors reported an increase of 6 per cent month-on-month to 1,912 units in March. However, Honda Car (HCAR) sales declined by 49 per cent month-on-month to 835 units in March due to the closure of the plant for 23 days on account of CKD issues.

    Hyundai sales were down 34 per cent month-on-month, with Tucson down 46 per cent month-on-month to 380 units and Sonata down 40 per cent month-on-month to 118 units in the period under review.