Tag: Punjab

  • Earthquake hits in different cities across Pakistan

    Earthquake hits in different cities across Pakistan

    Severe earthquake shocks have been felt on Wednesday afternoon in various districts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and around the federal territory of Islamabad.

    The tremors were felt in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Kamalia, Khanewal, Bhalwal, Chiniot, Hafizabad, Toba Tek Singh, Gujarat, Sargodha and Jhang. Slight tremors were also felt in Sahiwal, Chichawatani, Borewala, Phulnagar, Hujra Shah Moqim, Shahkot, Sangla Hill, Talagang and Chakwal.

    In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, tremors were felt in Peshawar, North Waziristan, DI Khan, Lakki Marwat, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Lower Dir, Malakand, Tank and Chitral.

    Seismological Centre informed Geo that the tremors of the earthquake were felt at 12:28 PM with a magnitude of 5.7 and a depth of 10 km. The epicentre was near DG Khan.

  • IMF urges Punjab to end electricity subsidy, imposes more conditions

    IMF urges Punjab to end electricity subsidy, imposes more conditions

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has put forward at least three strict conditions in Pakistan after the Punjab province gave Rs45 to Rs90 billion in electricity subsidies for two months.

    Last month, President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Muhammad Nawaz Sharif announced that Punjab government would provide relief of fourteen rupees per unit to consumers using up to 500 units of electricity in August and September bills.

    The IMF has asked the province to end the temporary subsidy by September 30th while also clarifying that no province w
    could give such a subsidy during the 37-month Extended Fund Facility (EEF) programme.

    According to IMF, it was one of the conditions for the bailout that no provinces would take such a move. This brings into question Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s previous statement when he encouraged other provinces to follow suit of Punjab.

    Tribune reported that the IMF also introduced the condition that would bind the provinces to not introduce any fiscal policy that could undermine the commitments given under $7 billion loan.

    The provinces have committed to signing a National Fiscal Pact by the end of September, which would mean they undertake some expenditures that are currently the federal government’s responsibility.

  • PPP leader Saeed Ghani terms Punjab govt’s relief in bills a ‘political stunt’

    PPP leader Saeed Ghani terms Punjab govt’s relief in bills a ‘political stunt’

    Sindh Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani mocked the Punjab government’s recent move to give relief to the masses by reducing electricity prices for just two months, terming it a “political stunt.”

    He said this in response to Punjab’s government’s decision to provide relief to the public by rescuing Rs 14 per unit on electricity bills for two months (August and September).

    Ghani remarked that it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide people with cost-efficient electricity, saying, “Rs 45 billion are being expended for relief for two months only, while scores of relief works could be done with that Rs 45 billion.”

    “The question is what will happen after two months. The consumers will be paying the same [high] prices,” the PPP leader stated.

    Interestingly, Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori asked Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Sunday to announce a Punjab government-like relief in electricity bills.

  • Sharing is caring, electricity relief shouldn’t just be for Punjab: Mustafa Kamal

    Sharing is caring, electricity relief shouldn’t just be for Punjab: Mustafa Kamal

    Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Mustafa Kamal, while addressing a press conference in Karachi, criticized the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) led government for announcing electricity relief only for Punjab.

    “Relief on electricity bills should be provided nationwide instead of only for Punjab,” he said.

    Kamal also rejected the electricity bill relief, stating that the PML-N is not only a party representing Punjab but should also represent the entire country.

    “These IPPs have already earned billions of rupees through their services, and the government should engage in dialogue with both foreign and local electricity-producing companies about the current economic situation,” he added, commenting on Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

    Kamal emphasised that IPPs, which have become obsolete, should be discarded immediately.

  • Torrential rains predicted in the coming week

    Torrential rains predicted in the coming week

    Torrential rains have been predicted in the country from August 14 to August 18.

    The weather department shared details of the new spell, saying monsoon winds from the West, Arabian Sea, and Bay of Bengal will affect the country. Heavy rains will descend in some places in Islamabad, Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir.

    There is a possibility of light rain in the coastal areas of Sindh during the evening or night of August 15 to August 18, according to the meteorological department.

    Additionally, rain continues in various districts of Balochistan, and the Meteorological Department has predicted a new spell of rain with wind and thunder in 16 districts from August 15.

    Meteorologists have also warned of strong winds and thunderstorms in the coastal areas of Khuzdar, Lasbela, Awaran, Kalat, Zhob, Barkhan, Musa Khel, Mastung, Sibi, Shirani, Kohlu, Bolan, Harnai, Nasirabad, Jafarabad and Makran during August 15 to 18. Intermittent rain and heavy rain in some places have been predicted.
    6.6 mm of rain was recorded in Barkhan and Kalat during the last 24 hours.

    Besides this, Monday was the hottest day in Nokundi, with a maximum temperature of 47 degrees Celsius.

  • PPP MNA raises questions about party’s Punjab chapter

    PPP MNA raises questions about party’s Punjab chapter

    Makhdoom Jamiluzzaman, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) affiliated Member of the National Assembly (MNA) has expressed disappointment over his party’s performance in Punjab.

    ‘’Bilawal Bhutto Zardari cannot become Prime Minister (PM) with Sindh votes only,” he said at the ceremony at a local hotel on his father’s 85th birth anniversary.

    ‘’Punjab PPP leaders have been holding essential party positions yet failing to help Bilawal. Therefore, they must step down or be removed,’’ he stated.
    Jamiluzzaman, the son of the late PPP stalwart Amin Fahim observed that the same people vote for Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Marium Nawaz and former Prime Minister Imran Khan—but not for Bilawal Bhutto. He questioned his party ‘’Why do these votes not go to Bilawal? Why is the Punjab PPP sleeping? Why are Punjab people holding important positions?”

    He also hinted at leading a delegation to meet party leadership to reactivate PPP in Punjab.

  • Landlord allegedly broke legs of three goats

    Landlord allegedly broke legs of three goats

    A landlord from 26 WB, a village on the outskirts of Vihari in South Punjab, broke the legs of three goats after they entered his fields.

    The three pet goats belonged to Mohammad Aslam Tawari, who reported to Jang News that the landlord was angered by their intrusion and threw bricks at the goats, injuring them.

    Tawari took the injured goats to the Sadar police station, where they were subsequently sent to the veterinary hospital for treatment.

    The Police have stated that a medical docket (a request for injury documentation for the government hospital) was issued for the broken legs of the goats.

    Medical aid is being provided to the injured goats, and a case will be registered once the medical report is received.

  • New report reveals surge in gender-based violence cases, low conviction rates

    New report reveals surge in gender-based violence cases, low conviction rates

    A report released by the Law and Justice Com­m­ission of Pakistan (LJCP) reveals an increase in gender-based violence across Pakistan.

    The report also notes an increase in pending gender violence cases in the courts.

    The number of pending gender violence cases rose from 21,891 to 39,665 in 2023.

    In Punjab, the number of pending gender violence cases increased by 100 percent, while Sindh saw a three percent increase, KP experienced a 14 percent rise, Balochistan had a two percent increase, and Islamabad saw a one percent rise.

    Most cases of gender-based violence involve sexual assault, and pending cases also include kidnapping, human trafficking, and murder of women.

    Crimes committed using electronic means related to gender cases have also increased, while economically motivated crimes have decreased.

    According to the report, the conviction rate for those involved in gender crimes is only five percent, and the acquittal rate for accused individuals in gender crimes is 64 percent.

    Additionally, 480 special courts were established in 2019 to address gender-based crimes across the country.

  • TLP’s Pir Zaheerul Hassan Shah still at large as police continues hunt

    TLP’s Pir Zaheerul Hassan Shah still at large as police continues hunt

    The News has said that previous media reports of arrests of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) vice emir Pir Zaheerul Hassan Shah turned out to be not true as the police are struggling to arrest him.

    Reportedly, Shah has fled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since late Monday when the government tightened the noose around TLP leaders for targeting the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa.

    “We have zeroed in on the cleric. We are not far from getting a hand on him,” said an official to The News.

    Previously, the culprit had announced a head-money of Rs10 million on Qazi Faez Isa in reaction to a decision of a three-member bench in the Mubarak Sani case.

    Meanwhile, FIRs have been filed against more than 1500 TLP members across the Punjab province after the government took a firm stance against the right wing religious party.

  • ‘Beep Pakistan’ should not be compared to WhatsApp, says government

    ‘Beep Pakistan’ should not be compared to WhatsApp, says government

    Minister of State for Information Technology (IT) Shaza Fatima Khawaja has clarified that the soon-to-be-introduced instant messaging application ‘Beep Pakistan’ should not be compared with WhatsApp.

    The National Information Technology Board (NITB) developed ‘Beep Pakistan’ and began its trial in August 2023 under the then-Information Technology Minister Aminul Haq.

    Government officers and Ministry of Information Technology experts have been using the application for the past year, and it is still being tested.

    Recently, complaints about slow internet speeds and difficulties running WhatsApp led to rumours on social media that the government plans to introduce ‘Beep Pakistan’ as an alternative to WhatsApp.

    However, Minister of State Shaza Fatima Khawaja has clarified that ‘Beep Pakistan’ is not intended as a public alternative to WhatsApp but will serve as an alternative at the government level.

    In an interview with the Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera, Shaza Fatima emphasised that it is incorrect to consider ‘Beep Pakistan’ as an alternative to WhatsApp or to compare the two.

    She stated that the government does not intend to present ‘Beep Pakistan’ as an alternative to third-party applications.

    According to the Minister of State, the app is still being tested within the Ministry of Information Technology, and in the second phase, testing will extend to more federal ministries.

    Shaza explained that ‘Beep Pakistan’ will be introduced as an official instant messaging application. The government will ensure its privacy and will use the app exclusively for government affairs.

    The app will function similarly to WhatsApp, but all services and data will remain under the control of the Government of Pakistan.

    The Government of Pakistan has also recently issued orders to implement electronic and e-systems in ministries and institutions to reduce time and costs associated with paper-based processes.