Tag: Pakistan

  • Adnan Siddiqui refuses to attend event with Indian artists

    Pakistani star Adnan Siddiqui refused to attend an event in the United States (US) after he learnt that some Indian artists have also been invited.

    “In solidarity with countless Muslims around the world, I won’t be attending APPNA event in US where some Indian artists are invited too. Nothing against the artistes but my conscience doesn’t allow me to overlook the humiliation of revered Prophet (PBUH) by Indian leaders.”

    Read more- ‘World should severely reprimand India’: Muslim countries condemn BJP’s derogatory remarks about Holy Prophet (PBUH)

    Adnan Siddiqui has refused to attend the event because of the derogatory remarks made by BJP spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal. India’s ruling party suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal. The two also issued public apologies. The Biden administration in the United States (US) had also condemned the derogatory remarks made by BJP spokespersons.

  • Pakistan Blind Cricket Council needs permission to participate in T20 World Cup in India

    Pakistan Blind Cricket Council needs permission to participate in T20 World Cup in India

    Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) has reportedly contacted the Pakistani government for the issuance of a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) so that the team can participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup for Blinds in India.

    PBCC’s Chairman Sultan Shah told Geo News, “We will only confirm our participation in T20 World Cup in India once we get the NOC from the government.”

    “We have already started preparing a strong team for the event,” Shah added.

    The third T20 cricket World Cup will be played in India from December 4 to 17, 2022.

    The second T20 cricket World Cup was also hosted by India in 2017. In the final, India won against Pakistan by 9 wickets.

  • Considering significant medical, legal, and security challenges: Musharraf’s family

    Considering significant medical, legal, and security challenges: Musharraf’s family

    Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s family on Sunday said that they are reviewing the medical, legal, and security challenges before deciding on his return to Pakistan.

    Musharraf’s family said that Pakistan lacks the required medicines and medical facilities, adding that a continuous supply of a drug called ‘daratumumab’ and treatment of amyloidosis is needed which is currently not available in the country.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Chief Nawaz Sharif and Inter-Services Pub­lic Relations (ISPR) Director-Gen­eral (DG) Major General Babar Iftik­har both appear to be on the same page regarding Musharraf’s return to Pakistan.

    READ MORE: ‘Military leadership’s stance is that Pervez Musharraf should return’: DG ISPR

    DG ISPR said, “In such a situation, the institution and leadership’s stance is that Pervez Musharraf should return,” said DG ISPR in Dunya News programme, ‘On The Front with Kamran Shahid’.

    “Musharraf Saab is seriously ill. We have contacted his family. Once his family responds and the doctors allow him to travel, we can make the required arrangements.”

    On the other hand, Nawaz said, “I have no personal enmity or animosity towards Pervez Musharraf. I don’t want anyone else to suffer the traumas I have had to endure for my loved ones. I pray to Almighty Allah for his health. If he wants to return to Pakistan, the government should facilitate him.”

    Musharraf, 78, is critically ill these days as he is suffering from a condition called amyloidosis, his office said earlier this month.

  • US agrees to help Pakistan negotiate a deal with IMF

    US agrees to help Pakistan negotiate a deal with IMF

    The United States (US) has agreed to help Pakistan negotiate a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    According to media reports, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan met Assistant US Trade Representative (USTR) for South and Central Asia Christopher Wilson to discuss expanding trade relations between the two countries and encouraging US investments in Pakistan.

    Pakistan has not yet received the first draft of a memorandum of financial and economic policies (MEFP) from the IMF as targeted earlier because certain matters remained unsettled. “We are working very closely with the IMF and will soon reach some conclusion,” a top finance ministry official told Dawn.

    Pak govt asks US to help with IMF deal

    Last week, Pakistan asked for the support of the US for the revival of the IMF programme, reports Shahbaz Rana for The Express Tribune.

    The Shehbaz-led government’s economic team met with US Ambassador Donald Blome and sought Washington’s support and acknowledgement of the actions taken.

    According to the news outlet, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and Minister of State for Finance Dr Aisha Pasha met with the US envoy. 

    The government is making all-out efforts to revive the programme and has taken many unpopular steps, but still remains short of the IMF’s expectations.

    The IMF not only wants a reversal of the cut in the income tax rates for the salaried class but is seeking to pass on an additional burden of Rs125 billion on the salaried people. The government has now worked out a new proposal that entails reversing Rs47 billion tax relief and then passing on an additional burden of Rs18 billion to the salaried class, reports Shahbaz Rana.

    The Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led- government had committed to increasing the taxes on the salaried class with effect from July and also agreed to share the draft of the personal income tax reforms with the IMF by end of February 2022. However, PTI did not fulfil its commitments.

    Minister of State for Finance Dr Aisha Pasha said that there was now more clarity to the IMF on the new budget, hoping to sign a deal very soon.

    On Wednesday, the federal government increased the price of all petroleum products, including Rs24 per litre for petrol and Rs59.16 per litre for high-speed diesel (HSD). In less than a month, this is the third hike.

    Miftah Ismail criticised the previous PTI government for reaching an erroneous agreement with the IMF, which tied the incumbent’s hands and forced it to raise oil prices to get the economy back on track.

  • Number of 3G, 4G users in Pakistan increases to 113.89 million

    Number of 3G, 4G users in Pakistan increases to 113.89 million

    The latest data from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reveals that the number of 3G and 4G users grew by 1.14 million from 112.75 million in April 2022 to 113.89 million in May 2022.

    Pakistan’s cellular subscriber base grew by 0.25 million to 193 million by the end of May 2022, up from 192.75 million at the end of April, according to Brecorder.

    By the end of May, cellular mobile teledensity had risen from 87.6 per cent to 87.67 per cent. By the end of May, the total teledensity had risen to 88.81 per cent, up from 88.74 per cent in April.

    The monthly penetration of Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) at the end of April had risen to 51.73 per cent, up from 51.24 per cent.

    Network providers

    The total number of 3G users on Jazz fell from 6.222 million at the end of April to 6.068 million at the end of May, a reduction of 0.154 million. By the end of May, the number of Jazz 4G users had risen from 36.567 million to 37.168 million.

    Zong 3G subscribers fell from 3.357 million at the end of April to 3.272 million at the end of May, while 4G users grew from 27.952 million at the end of April to 28.317 million at the end of May.

    Telenor 3G subscribers fell from 3.696 million at the end of April to 3.613 million at the end of May, whereas Telenor 4G users enhanced from 21.216 million at the end of April to 21.494 million at the end of May.

    By the end of May, there were 3.576 million Ufone 3G users, up from 3.673 million at the end of April. Ufone’s 4G users increased from 8.761 million at the end of April to 9.052 million at the end of May, a 0.291 million increase over the previous month.

  • Citizens will be given CPR training to save lives: Govt

    Citizens will be given CPR training to save lives: Govt

    Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the commencement of a countrywide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training programme in order to save lives in situations where medical help is unavailable.

    “National movement on CPR Training. CPR has saved countless lives around the world at places where immediate medical assistance is limited. Let’s learn & be a responsible citizen,” tweeted Head of Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Strategic Reforms Salman Sufi.

    A comprehensive strategy would be announced later.

    The development came after a video of a female doctor and her husband went viral on social media in which they administered CPR to save the life of a kid who was recovered from the Nultar River near Gilgit.

  • Who is responsible for getting Pakistan off the ‘terror watch list’?

    Who is responsible for getting Pakistan off the ‘terror watch list’?

    After years of relentless hard work, Pakistan finally received a positive response from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The country is finally close to its removal from the global money-laundering and terrorist financing watchdog’s ‘grey list’. This for sure is a huge win for the country. This was made possible after countless days and nights our officials worked to bring Pakistan one step closer to being removed from the grey list. But here’s the twist. Who should be crowned for the FATF success? Many people are declaring it as their own victory.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan credited his government for this achievement. Khan congratulated former Energy Minister Hammad Azhar who was the main man working on FATF. On the other hand, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated the nation and appreciated the performance of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and the members of her team. According to Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, the premier made a telephone call to the army chief and “lauded his decision to set up the core cell at the GHQ”. Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major-General Babar Iftikhar termed the development “a great achievement” and gave credit to the “civil-military team” and mainly to the core cell set up at the army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi for it.

    Though there is no doubt that the road to success in terms of FATF has been a long one for Pakistan, let us not forget that many have done a lot of hard work to bring the country to this point. But this recent episode of many claiming credit for our success at FATF has raised one question: Can we as a nation stand united and be able to celebrate the major wins together, keeping aside our political and personal differences? The answer, for now, seems, ‘no’. The recent political scenario has divided the nation so much that even conversing on a simple topic that involves politics ends up in a heated argument. Does one wonder where have the days of critical thinking and constructive debate gone? We can only hope that Pakistanis — be it politicians, think-tankers, policymakers or the common citizen — be able to celebrate Pakistan for its glory and wins.

  • ‘First time in history’: PM Shehbaz approves task force for protection of minority rights

    ‘First time in history’: PM Shehbaz approves task force for protection of minority rights

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has approved the formation of a task force that will look after the implementation of minority rights in Pakistan.

    An official notification in this regard states, “In light of the resolution passed by the National Assembly on May 9, 2022, the prime minister has been pleased to approve the constitution of the task force on minorities to oversee the implementation of rights of minorities in light with the decision of the apex court.”

    The task force will be headed by Member of National Assembly (MNA) Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani. It comprises 23 parliamentarians, senators and ex-officio members.

    As chairman of the task force, Dr Vankwani tweeted that such a step had been taken “for the first time in the history of Pakistan”.

    In another tweet, he said, “Recommendations will be made for the solution of the problems faced by the minorities and we will take people from all the segments of the society along with us.”

    In 2014, the Supreme Court (SC) issued an order that there should be monitoring of the practical realisation of the rights and safeguards provided to the minorities under the Constitution and law.

    However, the governments over the years could not implement the SC orders.

    In 2020, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the surge in blasphemy cases against religious minorities, and the potential for sectarian violence.

  • After electricity, telecom companies warn of phone call loadshedding

    After electricity, telecom companies warn of phone call loadshedding

    Following a massive tax hike, telecom companies in Pakistan have warned the public of initiating ‘loadshedding’ of phone calls, similar to power cuts, across the country.

    Telecommunication officials informed senators during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance that, like electricity, load-shedding of phone calls would be observed in the coming days, according to ARY News.

    During the meeting, telecom company representatives stated that the federal government has enhanced the advance tax on imported fibre optic cable by 15 per cent while boosting duty by 20 per cent.

    The senators were informed that the companies are experiencing severe financial difficulties as a result of the enhanced financial strain of importing fiber-optic.

    Telecom company representatives claimed that fibre optic cable is only used in 10 per cent of towers across the country, and that unless the government lowers fibre optic cable taxes, Pakistan will fall behind in the global connectivity race.

    After hearing the telecom companies’ arguments, the Senate committee recommended that the federal government reduce relevant taxes on fibre optic imports.

  • Twitter remembers Pakistan’s iconic Champions Trophy win against India

    Twitter remembers Pakistan’s iconic Champions Trophy win against India

    Under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed, Pakistan made history by defeating defending champions India in the final of the 2017 International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy, which happened exactly five years ago on June 18 at The Oval.

    Fakhar Zaman scored 144, which played a big part in Pakistan’s victory. Other than him, Azhar Ali’s 59, Babar Azam’s 46 and Hafeez’s 57 led to Pakistan’s win against India.

    One cannot forget Mohammad Amir’s bowling. He showcased his fiery skills by dismissing all three of India’s openers. The entire Indian cricket team was dismissed on 158 in just 30.3 overs.

    Since June 18, every year on this day Pakistan celebrates its victory against its arch-rivals.

    Here are some tweets celebrating Pakistan’s victory.

    https://twitter.com/HomiMalik4/status/1538110718637228034?s=20&t=Mh7CmKcWn_HmvOxcSRdbAA

    https://twitter.com/iamdanyalahmad/status/1538160091341410304?s=20&t=MNdArcldecqJ-kEoHkEtNg