Tag: Pakistan

  • ‘Aisi baaten hi na karo jin par dar ho’; Rana Sanaullah on call tapping

    ‘Aisi baaten hi na karo jin par dar ho’; Rana Sanaullah on call tapping

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah, appearing on the Geo News programme Capital Talk, has stated that people shouldn’t engage in such controversial conversations that lead to fear that their calls are being tapped.

    The federal government has authorised the country’s top spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to intercept and trace calls and messages to apprehend an offence against national security.

    “If somebody is worried over their conversations being ‘heard’, then they should not engage in such verbal exchanges to begin with,” Sanaullah reiterated, echoing the government’s stance on the issue.

    “If the content of my call is something I cannot face, something I cannot defend or something that I can be blackmailed over – then I shouldn’t be engaging in that in the first place,” said the advisor.

  • Fans rally behind Ayesha Jehanzeb after domestic abuse incident

    Fans rally behind Ayesha Jehanzeb after domestic abuse incident

    Television host Ayesha has accused her husband Haris Ali of domestic abuse. They are currently married and have two children together. On Tuesday, Ayesha went to the police station with a bruised face to file a report against Haris. Her daughter Zoha accompanied her. In an interview with Samaa TV, Ayesha revealed that this is the third time in six months that Haris has beaten her. The issues between the couple reportedly started after Haris’s secret marriage.

    Many people, including celebrities and social media users, are showing their support for Ayesha, calling her brave for dealing with abuse and continuing her work. Prominent figures like Reham Khan, Hina Pervaiz Butt, and Sania Aashiq have expressed their strong support for her. The shocking images Ayesha shared on social media have also drawn widespread sympathy and support from the public.

    Check the tweets below:

  • Consumers not receiving electricity units at basic rate: Court hears petition

    Consumers not receiving electricity units at basic rate: Court hears petition

    The Lahore High Court has issued a written order for the previous hearing of a petition filed against the imposition of protective and non-protective tariffs on electricity consumers.

    The Supreme Court ordered the public prosecutor to appear with instructions at the next hearing.

    The written order said that according to the petitioner, tariffs related to electricity units have been imposed on the consumers.

    In the written order of the Lahore High Court, it has been said that according to the petitioner, electricity units are not being given to consumers as per the basic rate.

    Yesterday, the Lahore High Court issued a notice to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on the petition against the exorbitant increase in the electricity bills of more than 200 units on the basis of protective and non-protective tariffs and sought its response at the next hearing.

    Justice Risal Hasan Syed further questioned on what basis the prices of electricity have been increased.

  • Hania Aamir steals the show in latest episode of ‘Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum’ 

    Hania Aamir steals the show in latest episode of ‘Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum’ 

    The new drama serial ‘Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum’ has already got everyone talking. The first two episodes introduced us to the lead characters, Mustafa (Fahad Mustafa) and Sharjeena (Hania Aamir), and their families. But it’s Hania Aamir who’s stealing the spotlight with her amazing performance as Sharjeena.
     
    This all happened when Adeel refused to marry Sharjeena. In the third episode, Sharjeena faces some tough challenges as a daughter and a sister. But she handles all the situations with confidence and grace, showing us what it means to be a strong and independent woman. From breaking bad news to her family to making sure her sister’s wedding day is special, Sharjeena handles it all beautifully.

    The drama revolves around the concept of opposites attract, where Hania, aka Sharjeena, portrays the role of a bibliophile and class topper with a practical approach, while Fahad’s character is a little laid-back.
     
    ‘Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum’ airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8:00 PM on ARY Digital.

  • PML-N is incapable of running government, says Asif Zardari

    PML-N is incapable of running government, says Asif Zardari

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Punjab leadership has expressed concerns against the federal and provincial governments in a meeting with Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

    PPP Punjab leaders stated after a huddle that provincial and federal governments are not cooperating with the party and that it is not getting its rights.
    Ticket holders told Zardari that the issues of their constituencies are not being solved.

    “We also received votes, and the people of our constituencies have to be satisfied,” the leaders told the President who remarked that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) cannot run the government.

    “Now I have returned to the ground myself, and uplift works will be carried out from Islamabad to Lahore. No political party can compete with the PPP,” Asif Zardari remarked.

  • Hafiz Naeem wants Army Chief and bureaucrats to give up their privileges

    Hafiz Naeem wants Army Chief and bureaucrats to give up their privileges

    Central Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has demanded that bureaucrats and the Army Chief give up their extra privileges as the country grapples with exorbitant taxes.

    Addressing a media group dinner in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem said that the country is facing a severe and immediate “brain drain.” The Army Chief should announce the withdrawal of extra privileges, and the country’s bureaucracy should also withdraw their privileges.

    He lamented the country’s socioeconomic problems, saying, “People are leaving Pakistan, and the education system is getting worse.”

    Furthermore, he stated, “Installing solar panels is not the solution to the problem because electricity tariffs should be reduced.”

  • IMF proposes 45 percent tax on agriculture income

    IMF proposes 45 percent tax on agriculture income

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has suggested that the government impose income tax of up to 45 percent on agriculture income as Pakistan seeks another multi-billion dollar bailout to stabilise its economy.

    The condition is part of the structural benchmarks the IMF has set for Pakistan to follow in order to access the next IMF loan that the country is negotiating with the global lender, Tribune reported.

    It also reported that the IMF has set October 2024 as the deadline for amending provincial tax laws to align with federal tax laws.

    Under the constitution, the federal government cannot impose taxes on agricultural income, as it is the provinces’ responsibility.

    Currently, the provinces are authorised to collect taxes from the agriculture sector, which contributes 24 percent to the economy but does not contribute even 0.1 percent of the total taxes collected across the country.

    President Asif Ali Zardari expressed apprehension at the move, saying the government was planning to tax agricultural income as per the IMF’s condition. Still, the provincial governments will lead the initiative to tax large land-holding farmers per their profitability and expenditures.

  • Flour mills across Pakistan to strike over withholding tax

    Flour mills across Pakistan to strike over withholding tax

    Flour mills in different cities have stopped grinding wheat and supplying flour across the country today, leading to fears of a shortage.

    1500 mill owners have gone on strike along with flour dealers, the Flour Mills Association has said.

    Chairman Flour Mills Association Asim Raza said, “We will not collect withholding tax. The price of a bag of flour will rise by Rs 200 after imposing withholding tax.”

    Today, 73 flour mills in Gujranwala district are completely closed, and more than 60 flour mills in Multan are also shut down. Meanwhile, all 100 flour mills are closed in the four districts of the division.

    A spokesperson of the Flour Mills Association stated that after the closure of flour mills in Faisalabad, the supply of 200,000 bags of flour per day has stopped. In contrast, all ten flour mills in Kamalia city and four in Khushab district are closed.

    A strike is also taking place in Peshawar on the appeal of the Flour Mills Association, while in Quetta, a strike is being carried out on the call of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association.

    Chairman Flour Mills Association (South Zone) Aamir Abdullah told Geo News that flour mills in Sindh have also stopped the supply of flour. “Tax collection is the job of FBR; we should not be made tax agents. Until our demands are approved, the supply of wheat products will remain closed.”

    A few days ago, flour mill owners announced a strike while holding a press conference and said that they had tried to negotiate. They stressed that they have conveyed demands to the government that tax collection is not their job.

  • HRCP condemns government’s decision to allow phone tapping

    HRCP condemns government’s decision to allow phone tapping

    The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has raised concerns about the government’s “unconstitutional notification”, which gives immense power to security agencies to trace calls of any citizen.

    “HRCP is deeply concerned by the recent unconstitutional notification issued by the federal government giving intelligence personnel carte blanche to intercept and trace the calls of any citizen in the interest of ‘national security’,” the commission wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

    On Monday, the federal government gave the authority to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to trace the calls and messages of citizens to deal with terrorism in the country.

  • Pervez Khattak testifies against Khan in Al-Qadir trust case

    Pervez Khattak testifies against Khan in Al-Qadir trust case

    Former Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pervez Khattak, testified against Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Wednesday.

    The case alleges that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanal from Bahria Town to legalise the amount through the federal cabinet.

    Before parting ways with the party, Khattak was a close aide of Khan and served as the defence minister of Pakistan, which he claimed had approved a confidential deed to transfer money to Malik Riaz.

    This is not the first time Khan’s former allies have testified against him in cases. His ex-secretary Azam Khan testified against him in the cipher case, while Aun Chaudhry recorded his statement in the Iddat case.

    Dawn News reported that Imran Khan usually does not move from his chair when witnesses record statements. But in yesterday’s hearing, Khan rose from his chair and approached the witness box to look at his former ally, who had now turned against him.