Tag: Pakistan

  • Meghan Markle wore earrings gifted by Mohammed Bin Salman, days after Khashoggi’s murder

    A book by Valentine Low details accusations of bullying at Buckingham Palace by Meghan Markle. The book also reveals that Meghan wore earrings given to her by Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman – just days after his regime admitted killing journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

    The chandelier earrings had been a wedding gift from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.

    After the Duchess wore the earrings for a second time, an aide took up the matter with Harry. He is said to have looked ‘shocked’ that people knew where the earrings came from, although the Sussexes’ lawyers deny that he was ever questioned about their provenance.

    Later, Meghan’s lawyers, Schillings, said: ‘At no stage did the Duchess tell staff that the earrings were “borrowed from a jeweller”, as this would have been untrue and therefore any suggestion that she encouraged them to lie to the media is baseless.’

    Two days later, Schillings added: ‘It is possible she said the earrings were borrowed, which is correct, as presents from heads of state to the Royal Family are gifts to Her Majesty the Queen, who can then choose to lend them out to members of the family.’

    The book also claimed that Meghan in multiple instances bullied royal staff.

  • ‘First trip to Azad Jammu and Kashmir’, US ambassador under fire by Indians for tweet

    United States (US) Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome, on his visit to Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Dak Bungalow, tweeted on Sunday, “The Bungalow symbolises the cultural and historical richness of Pakistan and was famously visited by Jinnah in 1944. I’m honoured to visit during my first trip to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).”

    Blome—who is currently in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) for his first visit—mentioned Pakistan’s part of Kashmir as “Azad”.

    It is pertinent to mention that Washington officially still considers both Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory between India and Pakistan.

    Indians seem to have taken offence with the tweet, lashing out at the US official. One user called the US a “backstabber” while the other was of the view that Americans should never be trusted no matter what.

    https://twitter.com/gyanendrra/status/1576647000728428544?s=20&t=GBwS8xjjPGIV5m6bpnWNdQ

    https://twitter.com/NCC1701_x/status/1576612210142416896?s=20&t=GBwS8xjjPGIV5m6bpnWNdQ
    https://twitter.com/NCC1701_x/status/1576612210142416896?s=20&t=GBwS8xjjPGIV5m6bpnWNdQ

    US and Pakistan relations seem to be warming up. Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met US President Joe Biden at his reception for world leaders participating in the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

    Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa is scheduled to meet with senior Biden administration officials this week during an official visit to the US.

  • Here’s how Pakistan’s inflation is impacting consumer buying pattern

    Here’s how Pakistan’s inflation is impacting consumer buying pattern

    In Pakistan, the real value of income has been undermined by inflation, while high interest rates have raised the cost of borrowing.

    Record inflation rates have dominated news for the past year, coupled with supply chain problems, material shortages, elevated fuel prices, and vegetable prices that increased by 500 per cent in September.

    According to a poll by Pulse Consultant, which was conducted in August 2022, 78 per cent of Pakistanis think that their country’s economy is going on the wrong path. Inflation has affected 66 per cent of people hard, and 12 per cent of people say their expenses aren’t keeping up.

    Pulse Consultant asked an open-ended question in a nationwide computer-assisted telephonic study in which more than 1,600 people across the country responded and revealed how they are dealing with the current wave of inflation.

    The following are the areas where customers lowered their spending:

    • Reduced Grocery Purchasing – 24 per cent
    • Avoid Going Out – 18 per cent
    • Stop Unnecessary Shopping – 16 per cent
    • Reduced Fast Food – 10 per cent
    • Reduced Overall Expenses -9 per cent
    • Save Petrol – 7 per cent
    • Reduced Children Expenses – 5 per cent
    • Avoid Beauty Parlor / Salon – 3 per cent
    • Save Electricity – 3 per cent
    • Avoid Family Gatherings – 3 per cent
    • Reduced Meat Consumption – 2 per cent

    In Pakistan, CPI inflation increased to 27.3 per cent in August 2022 from 12.1 per cent in January 2022. There are a number of causes for the sudden rise in inflation, despite the fact that core inflation (excluding oil and food costs) is at 18 per cent. The incidence of imported inflation has increased as a result of the rupee’s depreciation. From April through August 2022, the rupee’s value against the US dollar decreased by around 23 per cent.

    Pakistani currency is presently strengthening as a result of the restoration of the IMF package following its derailment last winter. Additionally, even though the oil bill still accounts for around 26–30 per cent of all imports, import reduction has improved the current account situation. The administration has promised to pass along any decrease in oil prices to the public.

    The lag effect of the significant budget deficit experienced in the previous year is one of the other primary causes of the high level of inflation. In contrast to the 4.2 per cent agreed upon with the IMF, the budget deficit during the FY ending on June 30, 2022, reached as high as Rs6,900 billion, or about 9 per cent of GDP.

    In addition, $20 billion in debt, as opposed to $53 billion between 2008 and 2018, was committed over the past four years. As a result, more money is being spent in pursuit of fewer commodities.

    The challenges of recession and skyrocketing inflation are pretty much universal. Despite having low inflation rates, China and Japan’s economies are expected to slow down. Inflation is being fueled by earlier Covid and current high oil, gas, and commodity costs in the wake of the Ukraine war, which is slowing growth.

  • ‘No one has done forgery like Khan’: Khawaja Asif reacts to audio leak no. 2

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reacted to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s second audio leak in which the leader can be heard directing his party members not to name the United States (US) in the cipher matter.

    The minister, who is currently in London, told the media that it is an “Ideal case” of Article 6 of the Constitution, which deals with high treason.

    “He [Imran Khan] should listen to the clips himself and feel shame on how he has put Pakistan’s integrity at stake in his lust for power,” Asif said, lashing out at Imran.

    “In Pakistan’s 75-year history, no politician has put Pakistan’s security at risk,” said Asif. He admitted that politicians and army officials have done things against each other and made mistakes but no one has done a “forgery” like the PTI leader.

    “In the audio, he is saying do not take America’s name but at the same time is talking against it. I cannot even imagine that a politician can be this shameful,” added the minister.

    Referring to Khan’s alleged insistence in the audio leak on using the word “letter” instead of cipher because “people wouldn’t have understood the word transcript”, Asif said the “PTI chief had underestimated the nation’s collective wisdom and will pay the price.”

    Audio leak:

    In the second audio leak, Imran Khan when he was Prime Minister (PM) is directing his close aides not to take America’s name while talking about the US cipher in public.

    “We don’t have to name the Americans. Under no circumstances do we have to take the name. So, on this issue please, the name of the country should not come out of anyone.”

    In turn, the voice, supposedly belonging to Asad Umar, raised a question: “Are you saying letter deliberately? This is not a letter, it is the meeting’s transcript.”

    On this, Imran Khan says that both the letter and the transcript are “the same thing”. He added that “People wouldn’t have understood the word transcript if you say things like this in your jalsa.”

    In the first audio leak that surfaced a couple of days ago, the PTI chief directed his then-principal secretary Azam Khan that, “We have to play with it [cipher]”.

    On the same day, when the first audio leak came out Khan broke his silence on it and said that he has not played on the cipher yet.

  • 10-month-old child dies of Polio, 20 cases reported in one year

    10-month-old child dies of Polio, 20 cases reported in one year

    A 10-month-old boy from North Waziristan’s Ghulam Khan Union Council passed away after testing positive for wild polio, reports The News.

    According to the National Institute of Health, the 10-month-old boy experienced symptoms in his left arm and neck and paralysis on September 15.
    This is the 17th case of poliovirus that has been reported from North Waziristan this year and 20th in Pakistan.

    Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio has not yet been eradicated. To formally eradicate the disease, a nation must be polio-free for three consecutive years. Nigeria was declared free from wild polio in August 2020.

    However, polio has been rearing its head up in countries where the virus was eradicated decades ago. In June, a 20-year-old man in New York was afflicted with the virus, resulting in paralysis. The strain that affected him was the kind that is found in vaccines, and then behaves like a wild version of the virus. The man had not been vaccinated against the disease, however, more worryingly, he had not traveled internationally.

    The same strain of the virus has been detected in sewer samples in Jerusalem. Israel has recorded its first polio case in 30 years. The United Kingdom too has found the same strain in London.
    Polio is a potentially fatal disease that can cause paralysis if it spreads to the spinal cord. One in 10 polio fever afflicted patients die. The disease is more severe in children than it is in adults.

  • Petrol price reduced by Rs12.63 to Rs224.80 per litre

    Petrol price reduced by Rs12.63 to Rs224.80 per litre

    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has announced a significant reduction in petrol prices on Friday, cutting the cost by Rs12.63 per litre to Rs224.80 per litre.

    A reduction of Rs12.13 has also been made to the cost of high-speed diesel, bringing the new price down to Rs235.30 per litre. After a reduction of Rs10.19 per litre, the cost of light diesel oil will be Rs191.83, according to Geo News.

    The new petrol price will go into effect after 12 AM.

    According to a statement from the Finance Division, the government decided to lower the price of petroleum goods in response to a drop in the price of these products on the global market and to help consumers who had been affected severely by inflation.

  • Imran asks ‘neutrals’ who is responsible for PMO audio leaks?

    Imran asks ‘neutrals’ who is responsible for PMO audio leaks?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday asked the “neutrals” — the term he uses for the military establishment — who was responsible for the security breach at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

    “I ask them [neutrals] that the audio leaks of the Prime Minister Office […] if the security of the Prime Minister Office has been breached […] this means that our enemies have our sensitive information,” Imran said in a speech at Edwardes College in Peshawar today. “Who is responsible for this,” he asked.

    “I ask the protectors today […] if robbers are looting a house, can the guards say that they are neutral? What will the residents say? That the house is being looted but the guards say they are neutral,” Imran said, claiming that Pakistan, too, was being “looted” today.

    Responding to Khan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz said, ““The massive security breach you have done sitting in the PMO with your secretary and followers, even the biggest enemies of Pakistan couldn’t compete with it,” she tweeted.

    “A foreign-funded evil mind has been playing with the destiny of the country for the past four years and has the nerve to do that same today,” Maryam added.

    Khan’s comments come in relevance to his audio leaks related to the cipher and the foreign conspiracy.

  • Rs16 billion money laundering case: PM Shehbaz appears before court, terms case as ‘fake’

    Rs16 billion money laundering case: PM Shehbaz appears before court, terms case as ‘fake’

    A special court in Lahore adjourned the hearing till October 8 in a Rs16 billion money laundering case filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza Shehbaz.

    The court also directed the lawyer to submit additional details on the acquittal plea by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders.

    In the hearing which took place on Friday (today), PM’s son Hamza Shehbaz did not appear before the court as he had sought exemption on medical grounds. However, PM Shehbaz appeared before the court but later sought exemption as he had “important” matters to attend to.

    PM’s lawyer Amjad Pervaiz told the court that the first information report (FIR) registered against his clients mentioned they were involved in money laundering worth Rs25 billion from 2008-2018 through fake companies. However, he said, “During this 10-year span, PM Shehbaz was neither the director nor a shareholder of those companies.”

    PM Shehbaz also spoke before the court, stating that the money laundering case against him is “fake”.

    He claimed that when he was Chief Minister (CM) for 20 years he had made decisions that “hurt” his family’s sugar business. “I was requested to provide subsidy to sugar mills, but I refused. I refused as the amount (that would be used for subsidy) belonged to the poor people in Punjab,” he declared to the court.

    Later, he sought an exemption from the court which was granted to him. After Shehbaz left, the court went on a break.

    Once the hearing resumed, the lawyer presented his arguments again. Then, the court adjourned the hearing till October 8 and asked him to continue deliberations at the next hearing.

    In 2021, the FIA submitted a challan against Shehbaz and Hamza to the special court for their alleged involvement in laundering Rs16 billion in a sugar scam.

    The report added that the amount was kept in “hidden accounts” and “given to Shehbaz in a personal capacity”.

    At the time, FIA had said that the amount of Rs16 billion has nothing to do with the sugar business of Shehbaz’s family. The money allegedly received from the accounts of low-wage employees was transferred outside Pakistan, ultimately destined for the beneficial use of his family members.

  • ‘Absolutely no truth in regime change’: US Ambassador says would work with whatever government Pakistanis elect

    ‘Absolutely no truth in regime change’: US Ambassador says would work with whatever government Pakistanis elect

    United States (US) Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome, in an interview with The News, said there is “absolutely no truth” in the allegations of regime change in Pakistan and said that he is “very much hopeful that the countries can get past this and get back to important work”.

    He said, “We want to see an independent, prosperous and strong Pakistan. That’s what we believe is in our interest and in the interest of the region. As for the allegations, there is absolutely no truth in that. We have spoken to them, myself, and in Washington.”

    To a question by the newspaper about the possibility of Imran Khan coming into power again, and the US reaction to it, the US ambassador said that his country “Would work with whatever government the Pakistani people select”.

    On the matter of Imran Khan’s demand to hold an inquiry into the cipher issue, the ambassador was of the view that it is not his position to talk about whether the inquiry should be made or not. During the interview, Bloom revealed that he had not met Imran Khan.

    The ambassador said it’s important to clarify that the US, in no way, asks Pakistan or any other country to “Choose a single economic partner, bloc or anything else like that”.

    Furthermore, Blome credited the government for securing the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) deal and termed it a “significant accomplishment”.

    Talking about Pakistan’s debt, the ambassador said that Pakistan does not have an enormous amount of debt with the US in particular. “So, the Paris Club debt is a relatively small amount. It is how the US would be working with Pakistan to defer payments,” he stated.

    However, he reiterated that US wants to help Pakistan to navigate through this very difficult period

    Blome also dismissed any talk about his country using Pakistan air bases.

    ‘We want to build and reset these relations back to normal: PM Shehbaz Sharif

    At the US embassy, where Bloom was also present, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif expressed hope to reset US-Pakistan relations.

    “I want to say this very sincerely today that we want to build and reset these relations back to normal on the basis of trust, respect, and mutual understanding,” he declared.

    On Thursday (September 29) a diplomatic reception was held at the US embassy in Islamabad to commemorate the 75 years of relations between Pakistan and the US.

    “As I said, there will be a lot of what your [US] side will want to say but as long as we renew this friendship with sincere and serious dialogue, I can assure you that nothing will go wrong,” Shehbaz Sharif said.

    The Pakistani premier stressed that it is time for the two countries to move forward and find ways to warm up the relationship to the same degree as it was in the past.

    The prime minister also recalled that during his visit to New York, he met US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken who assured him of support for the flood-affected people.

  • Pakistan launches first transgender anti-harrasment hotline

    Pakistan launches first transgender anti-harrasment hotline

    An anti-harassment/discrimination hotline for transgenders has been launched today (September 30 ) through a virtual conference.

    “Transgender citizens’ complaint management system is a breakthrough in streamlining and centralizing grievance redressal process. The system will enable Ministry of Human Rights and respective AIG office to respond to the queries and complaints of transgender citizens across the country promptly and efficiently. The Transgender Compliant Management portal is live on web.citizenportal.gov.pk where the transgender citizens can directly file their complaints regarding any issues they face and may also call 1099 for complaint registration. The complaint will be processed and addressed within 24 hours by the respective AIG office,” reads the press release.

    Head of Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit, Salman Sufi, while talking to The Current said, “It is a long awaited step which marks Pakistan government’s commitment to ensure transgender community is not abused, harrased or intimidated. This hotline will give them confidence to report abuse and get help so they can live as proud Pakistani citizens.”