Tag: TheCurrent

  • Taliban attack PPP leader’s house in Nowshera after asking for Rs1 crore extortion

    Taliban attack PPP leader’s house in Nowshera after asking for Rs1 crore extortion

    According to a report in The News, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Pir Muhammad Aslam’s house was partially damaged after a hand grenade attack on Friday in Nowshera district’s Risalpur.  

    In a report registered at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station, the PPP leader said that he had received a threatening letter from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on July 1.

    Aslam also told the police that the Taliban was demanding Rs1 Crore from him, mentioning the amount in the letter.

    The complainant had received phone calls from Afghanistan phone numbers to arrange money or face “dire consequences”.

    Pir Aslam also mentioned that he also received phone calls from Pakistani numbers, in which the Taliban threatened to eliminate his whole family if he did not arrange the money.

    This is not happening for the first time. Last year, in October, senior Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister Atif Khan also received a letter from the Taliban demanding Rs8 million as extortion.

  • New vehicles for government officials; LHC issues notices to Punjab caretaker govt

    New vehicles for government officials; LHC issues notices to Punjab caretaker govt

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued notices to the Punjab caretaker government and others after hearing a petition filed against the purchase of new vehicles for government officials.

    The lawyer of the Punjab government objected to the admissibility of the application, while the petitioner, Shiraz Altaf, has made the Punjab caretaker government and others a party, asserting that public money should be used for the welfare of the people.

    The petitioner said that the caretaker government can only run the daily running of the province, having no public mandate, it cannot use public funds. The court has been requested to annul the notification of purchase of new vehicles for officers.

  • Farah Gogi might become approver against Imran and Bushra

    Farah Gogi might become approver against Imran and Bushra

    According to the sources of The News, former First Lady Bushra Bibi’s close friend Farah Gogi is going to provide evidence against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife.

    According Murtaza Ali Shah’s report for The News, Farah Gogi has been in contact with Pakistani authorities and has been cooperating with them for nearly a month now.

    On the other hand, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership has told Farah Gogi and her husband Ahsan Jameel Gujjar not to cooperate with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other legal institutions.

    According to trusted sources, Farah Gogi has also shared important information with the Pakistani authorities.

    The sources stated that Farah Gogi was asked to leave the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the first week of May after the Pakistani government informed the Gulf state that she was a wanted individual and had engaged in corrupt activities while living in Dubai.

    Farah Gogi started a conversation with the Pakistani authorities after reaching Italy, as she has been blacklisted, which means she is unable to enter the UAE because of the cases filed against her.

    According to Pakistani investigators, Farah is involved in selling a Graff watch set, gifted to then-Premier Imran Khan by the Saudi crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman, to Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor for $2 million.

    She has also been named in cases related to bribes for postings and transfers during Usman Buzdar’s tenure as Chief Minister of Punjab. Allegations have been made that the bribes were funneled through Farah Gogi to Bushra Bibi and Imran Khan.

    Azhar Siddique, who is currently in the UK, has been aiding Farah Gogi with her legal issues. He told Murtaza Ali Shah that he was in contact with Farah Gogi and her husband, but he was unaware of their whereabouts. He has also said, “All allegations against Farah Gogi are politically motivated and false. She has done nothing wrong. There is no case against her”.

    Azhar Siddique has also said that he has no knowledge if Farah Gogi is in contact with Pakistani authorities or negotiating with them.

  • Masood suicide case: Recordings of calls with lenders reveal pressure on victim

    Masood suicide case: Recordings of calls with lenders reveal pressure on victim

    Following the suicide of Muhammad Masood, a victim of online loan sharks, his last voice note and conversations with the representative of the online loan lenders have revealed the pressure and emotional strain the deceased person was going through.

    Lahore Rang has shed light on the final days of the man who borrowed money to pay his children’s school fee.

    A recording of Mr Masood’s last message to his loved ones state, “I could neither be a good father, a good husband nor a good son. I’m under debt as I took loan and it’s all piled up with interest now. That’s the reason why I’ve been requesting you to sell the house, but you refused. The loan lenders have made my life miserable. I had no other option. Please forgive me. Keep my phone powered off for at least a month and then hand it over to Muneeb after throwing away the sim cards. I’m so sorry. Masood.”
    The 42-year-old was being incessantly harassed and threatened by the loan lenders. In one recording, a representative of the loan sharks can be heard blackmailing Masood, hurling threats, adding female members of the victim’s family to the call and insulting them along with him.
    In one recording he could be heard telling Masood to kill himself. His exact words were, “Get on video call with me right now and shoot yourself.” To which the poor man replied that he will.
    The victim’s brother has filed a complaint with the cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency, seeking justice for Muhammad Masood.

    Pakistan 24 has reported that two offices of such illegal companies have been sealed by the FIA, during raids carried out in the light of the mobile records of Masood.

  • Babar Azam takes a dip in test rankings: Joe Root is the new Number 1

    Babar Azam takes a dip in test rankings: Joe Root is the new Number 1

    According to the new rankings of the International Cricket Council (ICC), England’s Joe Root has become the number one Test batsman in the world.

    After the first Test of the Ashes series, there has been a change in the ICC Test Player Rankings and England’s Joe Root has moved up five places to the first place in the rankings, replacing Australia’s Marnus Libuschen, with New Zealand’s Kane Williamson moving up two places to the second position and Marnus Libuschen to the third position.

    In the Test batsmen’s ranking, Travis Head is at the fourth position after a step up, while Pakistan captain Babar Azam remains at the fifth position.

    Similarly, Australia’s Steve Smith has dropped 4 places to sixth, Usman Khawaja has moved up 2 places to seventh and England’s Harry Brook has moved up to 13th place after 5 places.

    India’s Ravichandran Ashwin remains at the top of the ICC Test bowlers rankings.

    In the bowlers ranking, England’s James Anderson is second, Rabada has moved up one level to third, Pete Cummins has moved down one level to fourth, England’s Ollie Robinson and Australia’s Nathan Lyon have moved up one level to 5th and 6th respectively.

  • Pakistanis to get three holidays on Eid

    Pakistanis to get three holidays on Eid

    The federal government has approved a three-day holiday on account of Eid ul Azha from June 29 to July 1st.
    The holidays are as follows:
    • June 29 and 30, 2023 (Thursday and Friday) for the offices observing five days working in a week.
    • June 29 to July 1, 2023 (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) for the offices observing 6 days working in a week.”

    The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced the sighting of Zill Hajj moon a day earlier on Monday, meaning that Eid ul Azha will be celebrated on June 29 across the country.
    Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, Chairman of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has confirmed the moon sighting.
    Representatives of the ministry of religious affairs were also part of the meeting and the decision was announced after taking input from zonal committees of Ruet-e-Hilal.

  • SSAT – Become One of 3000 Top Scorers & Get Free Entry Test Preparation From STEP

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    Are you going to attempt the medical and engineering colleges’ Entry Test in 2023? If yes, now is the right time to gauge the level of your preparation, and become one of the 3,000 top scorers who will be able to get free entry test preparation from STEP.

    The STEP Scholarship-based Self-Assessment Test (SSAT) 2023 is now available, offering students a chance to assess their current standing and gain valuable insights into their Entry Test preparation.

    A Bit About STEP

    As the largest Entry Test preparatory network in Pakistan, STEP has a well-established reputation for providing high-quality education and equipping students with the necessary skills to excel in their academic pursuits. The SSAT is an excellent opportunity for students to experience the Entry Test environment and understand the test’s mechanics before taking the actual test.

    In addition to providing a comprehensive self-assessment, SSAT also presents students with an opportunity to win free Entry Test preparation from STEP. Being part of the largest educational group in Pakistan, STEP is dedicated to offering students the resources necessary to ace MDCAT & ECAT exams and achieve their academic goals.

    Identify Your Weaknesses & Strengths

    Students often struggle with determining their current level of preparedness for the Entry Test. Here at STEP, we understand that the competition can be fierce, and every mark counts. This is why we developed the SSAT, a comprehensive self-assessment test that can help you identify your areas of strength and weakness.

    Through this free self-assessment test, you will receive an experience that is similar to the actual Entry Test environment. This will help you to familiarize yourself with the test format, the level of difficulty, and the time constraints. Additionally, the SSAT will provide you with a detailed report on your performance, including a breakdown of your score by topic and question type. This information will allow you to pinpoint your weaknesses accurately and focus your efforts on areas where you need to improve.

    Eligibility Criteria For SSAT

    Anyone from Intermediate Part-II or repeater students who are aspiring to get admission in Medical & Engineering Institutions can show up for STEP Self-Assessment Test 2023.

    All students, from the Punjab Group of Colleges and Hadaf Group of Colleges or students from any other institution, can appear in this scholarship-based test.

    Note: ICS Students having combinations of statistics and economics are not eligible for SSAT 2023

    Register for SSAT For Free

    At STEP, we understand that time is of the essence for students, and we strive to make the process of registering for the Self-Assessment Test (SSAT-23) as easy as possible.

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    Why STEP for MDCAT & ECAT Preparation?

    Proven track record of top positions: Our track record speaks for itself. Over the years, STEP has helped countless students achieve top positions in the MDCAT and ECAT exams. In 2022 alone, 1497 students secured admissions to medical colleges and 2216 to engineering colleges. Our students have consistently outperformed their peers, and we are proud to have played a part in their success.

    Likewise, 925 students of STEP made it to the University of Engineering and Technology, 987 to the National University of Sciences and Technology, 935 to FAST, 143 to PIEAS, and 42 to GIKI in 2022. The fact that so many of our students have secured admissions to Pakistan’s top medical and engineering colleges in a single year is a testament to the quality of education at STEP and the dedication of our students. We are proud to have played a part in their success, and we are committed to continuing to provide students with the resources they need to achieve their academic goals.

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    Register for STEP self-assessment test 2023 today and become part of Pakistan’s most successful and largest entry test preparatory network to boost your prospects of getting admission to top medical and engineering universities.

  • ‘Imran Khan nay Pakistan ki izzat ko khaak mein mila diya’:PM Shehbaz

    ‘Imran Khan nay Pakistan ki izzat ko khaak mein mila diya’:PM Shehbaz

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan destroyed the respect that Pakistan had.

    Talking about the economic situation of Pakistan, PM Shehbaz said that when he took over as the premier of Pakistan, the country was on the brink of default.

    He said that the ruling coalition saved Pakistan from default with the help of friendly countries.

    The Premier said that the government will not tolerate rise in terrorist attacks and vowed to crush it by developing liaison between government and law enforcement agencies (LEAs).

    He assured the people of Pakistan that the coalition government will rescue them from economic quagmire.

    PM Shehbaz also accused Imran Khan’s government of neglecting the western route of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

  • The seat-belt debate- it’s about time Pakistani celebrities were mindful about how their actions influence their fan base

    The seat-belt debate- it’s about time Pakistani celebrities were mindful about how their actions influence their fan base

    It started with a simple reminder: be mindful about wearing a seatbelt when driving with your children. Activist Shaneira Akram directly addressed actor Feroze Khan when he was driving with his infant in his lap, in a clip he posted himself. The activist stressed on the how this scenario put the child at risk had there been a car accident.

    “If your child is in your lap in the front seat and another car hits you even if only going 30km or less, your child will be flung from your arms, hit the dash or hit the windscreen or worse.”

    But this exchange had led to a heated back and forth with Feroze Khan writing that the activist doesn’t have “strength of understanding” after Shaneira called him out for tagging her in a video depicting animal cruelty.

    And now another actor Imran Ashraf has engaged in the argument when he was called out by Shaneira for taking inspiration from Feroze and uploading a clip of himself driving with his child in his lap without a seatbelt.
    “Please say that this is wrong or little lives are at risk!” she posted on her Instagram stories

    This all brings to question that why aren’t celebrities taking heed of Shaneira’s warning and dismissing it off as a simple controversy? As she had stressed in her posts, this was not about targeting a specific celebrity, or creating a spectacle out of something small, but shedding light on an urgent matter that has become a reason why many people lose their lives every year, all due to the careless mistake of not wearing a seat belt. As in 2020, WHO had shared in a report where data showed that around 1.93% of deaths in Pakistan were linked to road accidents. Similarly, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics published a report of traffic accidents in Pakistan from the years 2009 to 2020. The data they published revealed that more than 104,105 accidents had taken place out of which 44,959 were fatal. Moreover, due to such fatal accidents, 55,141 people had passed away and 126,144 were found seriously wounded.

    Given the stress of the situation, is it not better that celebrities take precaution of their platform and the influence they maintain over their fan base, and remain mindful that their actions can have consequences? Other celebrities had taken it on themselves to educate their fellow actors, as well as audiences on how a simple action like wearing a seatbelt can prevent something traumatizing from occurring. Actors Ayesha Omar and Fia Khan had responded to a post uploaded by Niche Lifestyle on their Instagram by sharing that it was absolutely tragic that seat belt precautions are not being taken seriously by celebrities.

    Fia had written: “Thank god @iamshaniera is being heard. Also these Parents who don’t bother to fasten the seatbelts when their kids are sitting at the back. What if you have to break all of a sudden? Where do you think God forbid your kid will go?”

    Social media users had also taken Shaneira’s side in the whole situation, and had criticized celebrities for refusing to understand the precariousness of the situation and not taking the issue of seat-belt safety properly.

    This twitter user pointed out how Pakistani roads can be described as “lawless” because of careless driving and little attention given to the importance of seat-belt precautions, and yet Pakistani celebrities choose to remain oblivious to this reality.

    Other users expressed the same disappointment that Pakistani celebrities refused to understand how dangerous driving without a seatbelt can be

    It’s disappointing that in 2022, driving safety is something public figures still need to be educated about. Anyone who is a household name would have a massive number of followers, and who could imitate their actions without a thought. Therefore argument should encourage celebrities to remember the power of their voice and be more mindful of the type of content they share with their audience.

  • ‘No MoU on wheat and oil with Khan’s govt’: Russian ambassador to Pak

    ‘No MoU on wheat and oil with Khan’s govt’: Russian ambassador to Pak

    Danila Ganich, Russia’s ambassador to Pakistan, has said that in his opinion the Russian visit could have been “one of the factors” for the removal of former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan from power but added that it was a sheer coincidence that Khan happened to be in Russia the day the Ukraine war broke out.

    “I think that was one of the factors but I also know that it was a sheer coincidence that he happened to be in Moscow on that very day,” said Ganich when asked if Khan’s government was removed from power because of his visit to Russia in an interview with Aaj News‘ senior anchorperson Shaukat Piracha.

    “The proof of that is just the fact that he was in Moscow on that very day, had he known that the operation would start on that very day, definitely he would have tried to refrain from being there on that very day. So that was a coincidence.”

    “As an ambassador of a foreign country I prefer not to interfere in your internal affairs.”

    “I do know that Pakistani [authorities] concluded that there was no conspiracy. So here I would like to say period. I cannot take sides here, especially when your judge concluded that there was no conspiracy,” said Ganich.

    Ganich said that Russia and Pakistan did not conclude any memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Khan’s claims that Russia had agreed to sell both wheat and oil at a 20 per cent and 30 per cent discount to Pakistan due to the efforts of his government.

    “I can confirm that we did not conclude any MoU,” the ambassador revealed. “As for what kind of discounts could have been offered [on oil and wheat], I cannot comment on this, as these are confidential negotiations.”

    Earlier, Russian Counsel General in Karachi, Andrey Fedorov said that a proposal was discussed between the two parties, while categorically denying that any letter was written by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to Russia, reported Samaa News.

    Finance Minister Miftah Ismail in an interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson refuted Khan’s claims that Russia has not offered a 30 per cent discount on oil or wheat.

    Miftah further said that even though a letter was written by former minister Hammad Azhar, Russia did not respond to the letter.

    Former premier Khan recently said that during his time in power, the PTI government had signed an agreement with Russia to buy cheap oil and wheat. Adding that his government remained in power Pakistan would not have to face the petrol bomb.