Tag: Pakistan

  • ‘Did National Security Committee declare197 National Assembly members as traitors?’ Bilawal asks ISPR

    ‘Did National Security Committee declare197 National Assembly members as traitors?’ Bilawal asks ISPR

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has demanded a clarification from Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Babar Iftikhar, asking if the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting declared 197 Members of the National Assembly (MNA) as traitors.

    Bilawal tweeted, “Will @OfficialDGISPR clarify did NSC meeting declare the 197 members of NA traitors and part of a foreign plot? Can the foreign office or defense ministry produce any official correspondence between 7-27th on foreign sazish.”

    “A plot of this scale would have been uncovered by our own intelligence agencies and other institutions, not just an ambassadors cable?” questioned Bilawal.

    “Imran’s ego is not more important than Pakistan,” said Bilawal hitting at the prime minister.

  • Pakistan’s exports grew 25% in the last nine months

    Pakistan’s exports increased by 17.3 per cent in March 2021 to $2.773 billion, up from $2.365 billion in March 2021 and 25 per cent in the last nine months.

    The Prime Minister’s Adviser on Commerce and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, said that exports increased by 25 per cent to $23.332 billion in the July-March fiscal year 2021-2022, compared to $18.688 billion in the same period last year, implying a $4.644 billion upsurge.

    On the other hand, according to preliminary data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), exports fell 2 per cent on a month-on-month (MoM) basis to $2.77 billion in March 2022, down from $2.82 billion in February 2022.

    Dawood said in a tweet, “We are glad to share that Pakistan’s exports for Mar-2022 grew by 17.3 per cent to $2.773 billion as compared to $2.365 billion Mar-2021. For Jul-Mar 2022, our exports grew by 25 per cent to $23.332 billion as compared to $18.688 billion in Jul-Mar 2021. This is an increase $4.644 billion”.

    While talking about the target for exports he added that “We expect to achieve our yearly target. The import figures would be shared when finalised by the PBS. We would like to congratulate our exporters for maintaining the momentum of exports under these testing times in the global market”.

    Pakistan’s current account deficit (CAD) decreased by 78.46 per cent to $545 million in February from $2.531 billion in January, owing primarily to a steep drop in imports.

    Read more: FBR records 29.1% growth during July 2021 to March 2022, despite providing ‘massive tax relief’

    Surprisingly, the CAD crossed the $12 billion level in the first eight months of FY22, showing no signs of improvement in the external account. The CAD was only $34 million in February 2021.

  • ‘Mubarak ho Pakistan’: PTI celebrates dismissal of no-confidence motion, festivities will continue for a week

    ‘Mubarak ho Pakistan’: PTI celebrates dismissal of no-confidence motion, festivities will continue for a week

    Senator Faisal Javed Khan has announced that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) will start celebrations near the Red zone area of Islamabad. The celebrations will continue for a week.

    He said that celebrations will start from today after Iftar. He also invited the party workers and their families.

    Faisal added that fireworks will also be part of the program.

    Read more– Explainer: Law says dismissing no-confidence motion is a big no-no

    The National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri on Sunday “dismissed” the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, terming it against Article 5 of the Constitution, the legal war began. PM Khan then addressed the nation, saying he had advised the President to dissolve the National Assembly, which the President approved.

  • ‘Appointing Buzdar was the real conspiracy’: Chaudhry Sarwar

    ‘Appointing Buzdar was the real conspiracy’: Chaudhry Sarwar

    Former Governor Chaudhry Sarwar in a hard-hitting press conference said, “All Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in Punjab and the federal ministers complained to us whether this was the Pakistan that we wanted where the chief secretary and inspector general are changed every three months.”

    Lashing out at PTI leadership, Sarwar criticised PM Khan’s choice of appointing Usman Buzdar as Chief Minister (CM) Punjab. “The premier believed that only Usman Buzdar could build the Naya Pakistan and other party leaders compromised,” he said.

    “We said that we want to build Naya Pakistan and if Imran Khan thinks Usman Buzdar can do that, we are with him. But the entire country saw that chaos [subsequently] ensued in Punjab. Workers across Pakistan, federal [cabinet] members, [people] from Europe to the United Kingdom questioned if this was the Pakistan we voted for.”

    “Imran Khan was on one side and the PTI on the other,” he said. Referring to the party’s claims that the no-confidence resolution against PM Imran was a “foreign conspiracy”, Sarwar said: “If there is an international conspiracy … the biggest conspiracy was making Usman Buzdar chief minister.”

    Former governor said he had met PM Khan twice who told him to call the session after April 3 (today). “However, I did not inform PML-Q’s PTI-backed Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi because the talk with the premier was an amanat (secret) with me,” he added.

    Sarwar also said that Elahi also visited him later to tell him it was important to hold elections before April 2 or he would not win. He added that he again went to the premier to express his reservations about Buzdar.

    “I signed on the resignation in the dark of the night and they sacked me immediately,” he said, adding, “Pakistan is in a difficult phase right now.”

    The federal government removed Chaudhry Sarwar from his post as Governor Punjab, appointing Omer Sarfraz Cheema as his replacement. Cheema has taken oath as the new Governor Punjab.

  • ‘There’s no place for me in the entertainment industry’: Anwar Maqsood expresses disappointment

    ‘There’s no place for me in the entertainment industry’: Anwar Maqsood expresses disappointment

    Legendary scriptwriter Anwar Maqsood who is famous for his cult projects like Fifty Fifty and Aangan Terha has expressed his dissapointment on the current content and scripts of drama seriels. He also cited it as a reason for not working actively in the entertainment industry.

    The veteran writer stated that, “I have stepped back [from writing] because what is happening on the television in the recent times, there is no place for me. Now that the rating has occupied a decisive place, the directors or producers have been left behind in every respect. The marketing department decides which actors are needed and which are not”.

    The industry veteran believes current television content is influenced by Indian soap operas, “When Indian dramas paved their way to the Pakistani screens, we thought that they would learn something from our dramas, but on the contrary, our writers started learning from them. It was then that our drama industry began its demise.” 

  • Opposition reacts to rejection of No-Confidence Motion, to approach SC

    Opposition reacts to rejection of No-Confidence Motion, to approach SC

    The opposition has reacted to the dismissal of the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly session and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s advice to President Dr Arif Alvi to dissolve the assemblies. After PM Khan announced that he had asked Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly, the President dissolved the National Assembly.

    In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Imran Khan said the country will move towards early elections. “Prepare for elections. No corrupt forces will decide what the future of the country will be. When the assemblies will be dissolved, the procedure for the next elections and the caretaker government will begin,” he added.

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the opposition will approach the Supreme Court against the dismissal of the no-confidence motion, “Government has violated the constitution. did not allow voting on a no-confidence motion. The united opposition is not leaving parliament. Our lawyers are on their way to Supreme Court. We call on ALL institutions to protect, uphold, defend & implement the constitution of Pakistan,” he said.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif tweeted: “No one should be allowed to distort the constitution of Pakistan to save his seat. She also referred to PM Khan as a “crazy” and “obsessive person”.

    PPP Parliamentary Leader in the Senate Senator Sherry Rehman has said, “All actions today are unconstitutional, illegal and will take the country straight into a dangerous constitutional crisis.”

    Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari has also reacted to the news. “All he has left is unconstitutional, illegal and treasonous methods because this is the reality of Imran Khan’s popularity with neutrality.”

    Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal has said that Article 6, which applies to treason, will be applicable to Imran Khan and Qasim Khan Suri for “unconstitutional” acts.

    Other politicians have also reacted to the dismissal of the no-confidence motion:

  • ‘Ready to move forward on Kashmir if India agrees’: General Bajwa

    ‘Ready to move forward on Kashmir if India agrees’: General Bajwa

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Saturday said that Pakistan continues to believe in using dialogue and diplomacy to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute.

    “Pakistan is ready to move forward on this front if India also agrees to do so,” the COAS said.

    “I believe it is time for the political leadership of the region to rise above their emotional and perceptional biases and break the shackles of history to bring peace and prosperity to almost three billion people of the region.”

    Khanewal Indian Missile incident

    Gen Bajwa termed India’s “accidental” launching of a supersonic missile into Pakistan on March 9 a matter of “serious concern”.

    “We expect India to provide evidence to assure Pakistan and the world that their weapons are safe and secure.”

    “Unlike other incidents involving strategic weapons systems, this is the first time in history that a supersonic cruise missile from one nuclear-armed nation has landed in another,” he said.

    Relationship with the US

    “Pakistan does not believe in camp politics and our bilateral relations with our partners are not at the expense of our relationships with other countries.”

    He said that Pakistan sought to broaden and expand relations with both China and the US “without impacting our relations with [either]”.

    In addition, relations with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Gulf countries, South East Asia and Japan were also important for Pakistan’s progress, the COAS said.

    Pakistan enjoyed a close strategic relationship with China, which was demonstrated by the country’s commitment towards the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said, adding, “Equally, we share a long and excellent strategic relationship with the US, which remains our largest export market.”

    Afghanistan situation

    “Pakistan recognises that it is the regions and not countries that grow. This is why we believe that peace and stability in our wider region are prerequisites for achieving shared regional prosperity and development. In this regard, our doors are open for all our neighbours,” the COAS said.

    The army chief cautioned that an inability to address the issues would “not only lead to a refugee crisis but will again make Afghanistan an epicentre of terrorism where [the Islamic State] with its global agenda flourishes [and] may result in more than one 9/11”.

    Gen Bajwa stressed the need for the international community to support the Afghan government. “The performance of present Afghan government is not satisfactory, to say the least, but we have to be patient and accommodative.”

    “While Pakistan shares some of the concerns of the international community, we believe disengagement with Afghanistan is not an option,” he stressed.

  • Govt to set up a commission to look into foreign conspiracy issue

    Federal Minister for Information and newly appointed Law Minister Fawad Chaudhry has reportedly given directions to set up a commission on the foreign conspiracy issue.

    The commission will look into factors such as the change of government and the no-confidence motion through a foreign conspiracy and will compile a report on it.

    The federal minister also has issued orders to replace dozens of legal officers in major cities, i.e. Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore and has directed them to perform their duties in an efficient manner.

    On April 1, Chaudhry was given additional charge of the law ministry.

    Earlier, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan claimed that the Opposition’s no-trust move is part of an alleged “foreign-funded conspiracy” hatched against his government.

    Later, in an address, PM Khan named the United States of America (USA) behind this conspiracy.

    However, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said, “There is absolutely no truth to the allegation.”

  • Ramzan Relief Package: Utility Stores Corp announces discount on 1,500 items at 4,000 outlets

    Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan (USC) will sell various food items at prices cheaper than the open market through its country-wide retail outlets as a part of its Ramzan Relief Package.

    The state-owned enterprise is offering discounted prices for 19 food items besides 1,500 total items that will be available at 4,000 stores throughout the holy month of Ramzan.

    Consumers will pay Rs950 for a 20-kilogram wheat flour bag under the package, instead of its original price of Rs1100-1350. Similarly, one kilogramme (kg) of sugar would be offered at Rs85 instead of Rs86-93. One kg of subsidized ghee costs Rs260 at USC, whereas edible ghee costs Rs470 on the open market.

    The price of one liter of cooking oil at USC is Rs407, while the open market is offering the same at Rs500.

    Likewise, one kg of daal channa costs Rs162 at USC, while it is being sold at Rs180-190 on the open market. Similarly, a kg of dal moong (washed) costs Rs170, and the open market sells it for Rs180-200 per kg. Washed daal mash costs Rs268 at USC, as compared to its price of Rs280-320 on the open market.

    Furthermore, one kg of daal masoor costs Rs215 at USC, instead of Rs250-280 in the open market. Sella rice will cost Rs165 per kg, basmati rice Rs155 per kg, and tota rice Rs85 per kg.

    The dates will cost Rs140 per kg, whereas dates on the general market will continue selling for Rs200 and Rs240. The 950gm tea pack costs Rs1,042 at USC, in contrast to its price of Rs1,250 in the open market.

    Read more: FBR records 29.1% growth during July 2021 to March 2022

    Ultra-high temperature (UHT) or pasteurized milk at USC is offered at USC for Rs142, and costs Rs165 in the general market. Squashes are sold for Rs250 instead of Rs290, and squashes and syrups (1,500 ml) are available for Rs437, compared to the original price of Rs495 in the open market.

  • ‘Can anyone disappear without the govt’s will?’ IHC questions state of enforced disappearances

    ‘Can anyone disappear without the govt’s will?’ IHC questions state of enforced disappearances

    During a case hearing of missing Lahore journalist, Mudassar Naro at Islamabad High Court (IHC), Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah said that enforced disappearances are ‘treason’.

    He said that such disappearances are not acceptable in a country that follows the Constitution. In the hearing, the additional attorney-general and judicial assistant appeared before the court.

    “Can anyone be disappeared without federal and provincial governments will? No,” the judge said. The judge then said that sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act are applied in such cases.

    The CJ asked if the inability to recover Naro is the failure of state agencies. He added that both governments should have looked into this matter.

    According to Geo News, Mudassar Naro has been missing since August 20, 2018. The disappearance occurred when he went to the northern areas with his wife and child. His wife and child returned but Naro has been missing ever since.

    His activist wife Saddaf Chughtai passed away last year due to a sudden cardiac arrest, leaving behind their four-year-old son.

    The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has shown serious concern over the situation. They have also called upon Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari to look into the case. However, after almost four years since his disappearance, his recovery hasn’t been made yet.