Tag: Pakistanis

  • Australian players appreciate Pakistan’s ‘brilliant hospitality’

    Australian players appreciate Pakistan’s ‘brilliant hospitality’

    Australian players have appreciated the hospitality of Pakistan during their recent visit.

    Pat Cummins took to Twitter to praise Pakistanis for their hospitality. “Special, special series. Immensely satisfied for this group to win the series in the last session of 15 tough days of Test Cricket. Huge thanks to PCB and all over here in Pakistan for the brilliant hospitality,” he wrote on Twitter.

    “Huge thanks to PCB and all over here in Pakistan for the brilliant hospitality.”

    Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne also expressed his satisfaction over winning the series.

    “A great, hard-fought series that went down to the last session. So happy to get the win!! Thanks to @babarazam258 and @TheRealPCB for a great series,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.

    Aussies are visiting Pakistan for the first time in 24 years. Australia won the Third test to claim historic series win against Pakistan.

  • Australia’s tour is “huge message” to the world: Wasim Khan

    Australia’s tour is “huge message” to the world: Wasim Khan

    Former CEO of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Wasim Khan called it a delight and a privilege to welcome Australia to Pakistan and termed it a “huge occasion” for not only cricket fans in Pakistan but also around the globe.

    Speaking to Geo News, Wasim Khan said that he “gets very excited about the tour like all other Pakistanis and cricket lovers as it is a huge occasion for the whole nation”.

    He said that this will send out a “huge message” to the world.

    He admitted there had been concerns about touring Pakistan from the players a few months ago, but they had all been put away by Pakistan’s security arrangements.

    “Hockley thanked me for all the hard work that was done for nearly 18 months to finalise the details of the tour,” said Wasim.

    Wasim said that it wasn’t just a single person’s work but a team effort as many people played their part to make this possible. “I have been in regular contact with Cricket Australia’s management and also players like Usman Khwaja,” he added.

    Wasim Khan said that there are many people on both sides that have worked tirelessly over the months to make this tour a reality. “This tour also sends out a strong and positive message to the entire world.” And he is confident that when the Australian team returns home, they will leave with fond memories.

    Last year, England and New Zealand cricketers didn’t play in Pakistan because of security concerns.

    Wasim added that there is no reason left for both England and New Zealand to not tour Pakistan later this year.

    “It feels so great that such positive news is coming out of Pakistan. The statements from Australians are very encouraging, which is a real proud moment for Pakistan.”

    “I was personally very disappointed, in fact, everyone was, as all of us put so much effort to make that possible,” he said.

  • Covid-19: NCOC eases curbs for passengers travelling to Pakistan

    Covid-19: NCOC eases curbs for passengers travelling to Pakistan

    The National Command Control Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday announced that from tomorrow (February 24), requirement of negative PCR report for passengers travelling to Pakistan has been abolished for fully vaccinated travellers.

    According to the new orders, pre-boarding negative PCR has been abolished for inbound travellers who are fully vaccinated. It also says that passengers below 12 years of age are exempted from mandatory vaccination. Passengers between 12-18 years of age are allowed to travel without mandatory vaccination till March 31, 2022.

    The Sindh government on Tuesday revised Covid-19 restrictions. Ban on indoor dining and weddings have also been lifted.

    Under the new relaxed rules, the following will apply:

    Gatherings

    • Indoor gatherings of all types, including weddings, with a cap of 500 fully-vaccinated guests will be allowed
    • Outdoor gatherings allowed with strict enforcement of safety protocols

    Dining

    • Ban on indoor dining has been lifted. And, outdoor dining for fully-vaccinated citizens and takeaway service will be allowed

    Business timings

    • Businesses will continue without time restrictions

    Office routine

    • Offices will be allowed to operate at 100% capacity of fully vaccinated workers with normal working hours

    Education sector

    • Institutes for children under 12 years of age will open with stringent Covid-19 protocols.
    • Institutes for children above 12 years of age will open with stringent Covid-19 protocols (fully vaccinated)

    Public transport

    • Public buses will be allowed to operate with 80% of their seating capacity. Wearing masks will be mandatory throughout the journey. However, a complete ban on serving meals/snacks during the journey will remain imposed till February 28

    Gyms

    • All gyms will be allowed to remain open for fully-vaccinated individuals only

    Shrines

    • Open for fully-vaccinated individuals only

    Cinemas

    • All cinemas will be allowed to remain open for fully-vaccinated individuals only

    Amusement Parks

    • Open for fully-vaccinated individuals only

    Sports

    • All types of sports are allowed for vaccinated individuals

    Domestic air/land travel meals

    • A complete ban on serving meals/snacks during the in-flight or land journeys for domestic travel will remain imposed till February 28

    Railways

    • Railways will operate with a 100% occupancy level for vaccinated individuals only
    • A complete ban on serving meals/snacks during the journey will remain imposed till February 28

    Mask wearing

    • Compliance with compulsory mask-wearing while incorporating innovative measures for enforcement
    • Strict adherence to SOPs in mosques and other places of worship be ensured by the respective district administration

    Extended lockdowns

    • Smart lockdown with stringent enforcement protocols based on disease clusters.

    Pakistan’s daily Covid-19 death toll witnessed an increase after several days.

  • UAE to ease covid-19 restrictions for Pakistanis travelling to Dubai

    UAE to ease covid-19 restrictions for Pakistanis travelling to Dubai

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is planning to ease Covid-19 travel restrictions for Pakistanis with regards to Covid-19 restrictions. Passengers travelling to Dubai will no longer be required to show reports of a rapid antigen test upon their arrival.

    Passengers arriving from Pakistan must have:

    • A valid negative COVID‑19 PCR test certificate with a QR code linked to the original report for verification purposes, for a test conducted within 48 hours. Validity should be calculated from the time the sample was collected, prior to departure from an approved health facility.
    • A rapid COVID‑19 PCR test report with a QR code for a test conducted at the departure airport within six hours of departure.

    There are specific requirements for passengers travelling to Dubai airport though. They still have to undergo another PCR test and quarantine, on arrival to the UAE until they test negative.

    Meanwhile, travelers transiting through Dubai won’t be required to show a negative PCR test unless it is mandated by their final destination. Passengers must also obtain a negative PCR test received within 48 hours.

  • PIA’s new flight plans for tourist destinations

    PIA’s new flight plans for tourist destinations

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has finalised the plan to start direct flights from Balochistan’s Kech district to Turbat city , ARY News reported on Friday.

    This move will enable Pakistanis to travel to the popular tourist destination directly.

    The airline will also operate flights from Quetta to Turbat from February 26.

    It may be noted here that PIA had decided to operate flights between Turbat and Sharjah in January last year. ATR planes will be used for flight operations between Turbat and Sharjah.

    The decision was taken to facilitate citizens to travel to the mountainous areas.

    Moreover, PIA will resume flight operations from Lahore and Karachi to Gilgit and Skardu to promote tourism in the northern areas.

    The national carrier will resume the flight operations on March 13. PIA will operate flights from Lahore to Gilgit and from Karachi to Skardu.

  • ‘For the first time, govt making changes in law made during British rule’: PM Khan

    ‘For the first time, govt making changes in law made during British rule’: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, while addressing an event regarding Criminal Law and Justice Reforms in Islamabad, said that massive amendments in law would help bring a revolution in the criminal justice system and simplify the procedure for the common man living in Pakistan.

    The prime minister said for the first time, the government was making changes in the laws introduced during the British rule to bring improvement to the way justice was dispensed.

    PM Khan said that none of the previous governments ever thought about reforming the century-old laws in order to maintain the status quo and accommodate the elite.

    The premier said the civil law reforms were a step towards ensuring rule of law in the country, that too in line with Islam’s first socio-welfare state of Madinah.

    He quoted a hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), emphasising that many earlier nations were destroyed because there were separate laws for the powerful and the weak.

    Prime Minister Imran said the lack of supremacy of the law was the “biggest obstacle” preventing Pakistan from progressing. Talking about overseas Pakistanis, he said they were the country’s biggest asset and their income was equal to that of 220 million Pakistanis.

    Federal Law Minister Barrister Farogh Naseem, speaking at the occasion, said the Code of Criminal Procedure needed changes and mentioned that the newly-introduced 700 amendments had completely overhauled the existing legal system.

    Explaining those amendments, he said that the formation of a statute of an independent prosecution service, forensic laboratory, and prison rules were significant reforms.

    Parliamentary Secretary for Law Maleeka Bokhari said over 700 amendments made in the criminal procedure code were a milestone of the PTI government and will ensure prompt delivery of justice.

  • Huawei faces lawsuit after allegedly spying on Pakistani citizens through stolen tech

    Huawei faces lawsuit after allegedly spying on Pakistani citizens through stolen tech

    Huawei has been sued in California federal court for creating a “backdoor” that allowed it to collect sensitive data “important to Pakistan’s national security”, reports Reuters.

    Business Efficiency Solutions (BES), a California-based IT consultant company, filed a complaint against the China-based tech giant on Wednesday, August 11.

    According to the complaint, Huawei subcontracted with BES in 2016 for its $150 million bid to develop software for a Pakistani government programme providing new technology for police and law enforcement in Lahore. BES said it created software for the project that collects data from government agencies, controls access to buildings, monitors social media and manages drones, among other things.

    Huawei officials allegedly demanded that BES send this information to the company in China for testing, and BES said it agreed to the demand but terminated its authorisation to use the technology after Huawei revoked its access to the testing laboratory.

    The complaint said Huawei has yet to return any of the confidential software design tools or uninstall the software, as BES said it had agreed to.

    BES said Huawei later demanded it install its data-aggregation software – used by Pakistani law enforcement to collect and analyse “sensitive data from different sources and government agencies” – in its Chinese lab, “this time not merely for testing purposes but with full access to data at the Lahore Safe City project.” BES said it agreed, under threat of termination and withheld payments, after Huawei said it had approval from the Pakistani government.

    Huawei has yet to respond to the lawsuit filed by BES through its legal team. BES also did not share any more information beyond the case that it filed in the federal court.

    The IT consulting firm also accused Huawei of stealing the “trade secrets, and other intellectual properties in its possessions after officials of the China tech company demanded it for testing.”

    Up until now, the lawsuit alleged that Huawei has not returned the software design tools to BES.

    Moreover, BES said that it only allowed Huawei to use the software with full access as the latter threatened that they will not be paid, which the Chinese giant has yet to do for some of the software in the project.

    Huawei is a Chinese firm that has been banned in the United States (US) after it was accused of being a security risk. Thus, Google forcibly removed its services from the devices of the Chinese phone maker.

    However, Huawei recently decided to live without Google by debuting its own operating system across all of its devices.

  • Guess who is Pakistan’s favourite anchor, Tiktoker

    Guess who is Pakistan’s favourite anchor, Tiktoker

    The Current starts its day with a morning mood to engage followers and find out what they are interested in. This is done via a ‘This or That’ poll and the winner has to compete in the same category the next day. It is mostly done over a week’s time and we found out a lot about our followers – and Pakistanis – based on what they vote for.

    The Current has compiled a few fun polls it did on its Instagram account.

    Professor VS Berlin: What would you like to be?

    Professor wins with 67%.

    Who is your favourite female anchor?

    We put this poll the whole week and got our winner. Can you guess who that was?

    ARY’s Maria Memon won the vote beating the likes of Sana Bucha, Meher Bokhari and Asma Shirazi.

    Favourite male anchor

    Waseem Badami is clearly the winner beating all prominent news anchors of Pakistan.

    Your favourite TikToker

    Again this one was not surprising.

  • ‘One-ring’ scam is targeting Pakistanis via phone calls

    ‘One-ring’ scam is targeting Pakistanis via phone calls

    A one-ring scam is targeting Pakistanis on mobile phones. A number of citizens received phone calls from unknown international numbers.

    The phone call ends with a missed call notification on the receiving end, urging the receiver to call back. The scam tricks thousands of users into dialing an international number and hence exposing them to the risk of getting charged heavily for the connecting fee, and huge per-minute charges.

    A user who received a call from this scam ring shared a
    message on Whatsapp which reads

    “Very
    Very Urgent …

    Please pass this message to your family and friends NOW.
    People have been receiving calls from
    Tel: +375602605281
    Tel: +37127913091
    Tel: +37178565072
    Tel: +56322553736
    Tel: +37052529259
    Tel: +255901130460 or any number starting from +371 +375 +381
    These guys only ring once and hang up. If you call back, they can copy your contact list in 3 sec and if you have a bank or credit card details on your phone, they can copy that too
    +375 code is for Belarus.
    +371 code is for Lativa.
    +381 Serbia.
    +563 Valparaiso.
    +370 Vilnius.
    +255 Tanzania.
    Don’t answer or Call back.
    Also, Don’t Press #90 or #09 on your Mobile when asked by any caller.
    It’s a new trick which is used to access your SIM card, make calls at your expense and frame you as a criminal.
    URGENTLY FORWARD this message to as many friends as you can to stop any intrusion!!!”