Tag: topnews

  • Breaking all records, tax filers number increases by 69% under PTI

    Breaking all records, tax filers number increases by 69% under PTI

    The number of income tax-filers in Pakistan has jumped to 2.5millions recording a rise of 69% during the current fiscal year, ARY News has reported.

    According to the details, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reported that over 1.36 million people have been added to the number of income tax filers in the country.

    FBR also aims to achieve a target of 4 million tax returns by the end of tax year 2019.

    Chief In-Land Revenue (Operations) of FBR Bakhtiar Muhammad said that according to the facts and figures, the number of income tax filers reached over 2.5 million till August 21, while the number of income tax return filers was over 1.5 million last year.

    Earlier in July, FBR Chairman Shabbar Zaidi had said all measures are being taken to include more people in the tax net, adding that “We cannot have stabilized and equitable society unless we have a fair taxation system”.

  • VIDEO: PTI MNA calls fellow MPA a ‘jew’, accuses him of ‘stealing funds’

    VIDEO: PTI MNA calls fellow MPA a ‘jew’, accuses him of ‘stealing funds’

    Calling an MPA of his own party a “jew”, an MNA of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has accused the provincial lawmaker of “stealing his constituency’s funds”.

    As per the details, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Finance Minister Taimoor Saleem Jhagra and MNA Noor Alam Khan have come face-to-face on Twitter over a dispute on development funds.

    In an August 3 Twitter thread, that has now gone viral over the micro-blogging website — Jhagra said that his attention was drawn towards a video of Khan, wherein he has used inappropriate language against him.

    The series of tweets came after a viral video showed Khan criticising his own party’s MPA. He called Jhagra a “jew”, adding that he was not a popular politician and had come from former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    Khan was also heard accusing Jhagra of misappropriating funds of his constituency and that he would go to the village of the provincial finance minister and “deal with him there”.

    Reacting to the accusations, Jhagra responded by sharing clips from Khan’s speech and translating his words before clarifying his position.

    The clips were followed by tweets wherein Jhagra shared “how he had promised Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to ensure financial discipline”.

    In his last tweet of the thread, the provincial minister wrote:

    While the spat reveals the rift that appears to be widening within the ruling party, it has not yet attracted an official response. PTI activists from PK-70, however, have reportedly held a rally to condemn the use of objectionable language by the MNA.

  • Indian Air Force finally admits ‘accidentally’ shooting down its own helicopter

    Indian Air Force finally admits ‘accidentally’ shooting down its own helicopter

    After six long months, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has finally confirmed that Mi-17 V5 helicopter crash in Budgam on February 27, which killed seven people, including six uniformed personnel, was caused by friendly fire, The Print has reported.

    According to reports, the investigation has discovered that the crash was a result of system failure, while the IAF has blamed two officers: the chief operations officer (COO) and the senior air traffic control officer (SATCO), who can face court-martial proceedings as a punishment.

    The report further said that the helicopter was shot down by IAF’s Israeli-made Spyder Air Defence System following the failure of command and control.

    The Russian-made chopper had crashed near Srinagar on the same day Pakistan Air Force (PAF) downed two intruding IAF fighter jets, killing one pilot while capturing another, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

    Budgam is a town located in Indian occupied Kashmir’s (IoK) district of the same name. The helicopter had crashed in an open field near Garend Kalaan village at around 10 am on February 27.

  • PM Imran likely to appoint Fawad Chaudhry as his spokesperson

    PM Imran likely to appoint Fawad Chaudhry as his spokesperson

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has reportedly decided to appoint Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry as his spokesperson in Nadeem Afzal Chan’s place.

    According to reports, the minister will serve as the premier’s spokesperson in addition to managing his science and technology portfolio.

    The current spokesperson, Chan, who is also the PM Imran’s special assistant on parliamentary coordination, wants to step down citing his “inability to carry on holding the post”.

    The premier has requested Fawad, a media affairs expert, to replace Chan, The Express Tribune reported, adding that the PM’s Office will issue a formal notification within a few days.

  • UN responds to demands, says ‘Priyanka has right to speak in personal capacity’

    UN responds to demands, says ‘Priyanka has right to speak in personal capacity’

    The United Nations (UN) has responded to Pakistani demands seeking the removal of Indian actor Priyanka Chopra as United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) goodwill ambassador for peace.

    According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s spokesperson, when UNICEF goodwill ambassadors speak in their personal capacity, “they retain the right to speak about issues that interest or concern them”.

    “Their personal views or actions do not necessarily reflect those of UNICEF,” he said, adding, “When they speak on behalf of the UNICEF, we expect them to adhere to UNICEF’s evidence-based impartial positions.”

    Antonio remarked that UNICEF goodwill ambassadors are prominent individuals who have agreed to generously volunteer their time and their public profile to promote children’s rights.

    The development comes after Pakistanis, including Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari, demanded that Priyanka be removed by the UN over a February tweet amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and India.

    The tweet had come a day before Indian fighter jets crossed into Pakistani territory, conducting air raids that resulted in an escalation in hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

    The campaign against Priyanka had started after she was asked to comment on her tweet at a conference in Los Angeles by a Pakistani girl, to which she had responded harshly, inviting criticism from all-around.

    Mazari had last week also lodged an official complaint with the UN, demanding Chopra’s removal over her “support for war”.

  • Kashmir crisis: Sri Lanka rejects claims, says ‘it never supported Pakistan’

    Kashmir crisis: Sri Lanka rejects claims, says ‘it never supported Pakistan’

    In what is being termed as an embarrassment for the country, Sri Lanka has rejected Pakistan’s claims of enjoying President Maithripala Sirisena’s support against Indian decision to revoke Article 370 of its constitution in held Kashmir.

    “The president acknowledged that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory and expressed his desire that this dispute should be resolved according to wishes of Kashmiris under UN [United Nations] Resolutions,” read a statement issued following Pakistani High Commissioner Maj Gen (r) Dr Shahid Ahmad Hashmat’s meeting with the Sri Lankan president Tuesday.

    According to the statement, President Sirisena “also offered Sri Lanka’s mediation and facilitation of dialogue between Pakistan and India to re-activate the SAARC [South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation] forum”.

    The Pakistani High Commission’s claims, however, were rejected by the Sri Lankan president on Thursday.

    “The President’s Media Division wishes to state that the said meeting took place at the request of the High Commissioner of Pakistan and during which he briefed the president about the recent developments with regard to India’s abrogation of Section 370 and annulling of Article 35A of the Constitution of India.”

    It added that the president gave a patient hearing to the high commissioner’s views and said that both Pakistan and India have excellent friendly relations with Sri Lanka, adding that the country’s interest is to see the growth of regional cooperation.

    “The president did not make any other comment on the issues pertaining to Pakistan and India,” it concluded.

  • ‘PTI govt spent dams fund on its utility bills,’ journalist claims

    ‘PTI govt spent dams fund on its utility bills,’ journalist claims

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has spent the Supreme Court (SC) and Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan’s Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dams Fund on utility bills, anchorperson Ayesha Bakhsh has claimed.

    “I have been told that billions of rupees raised for the dams have been spent on utility bills by the government,” the journalist alleged while hosting “Face To Face With Ayesha Bakhsh” on GNN.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    It wasn’t later that Bakhsh was called out for “spreading fake news” since the official fundraising webpage clearly states:

    “NBP [National Bank of Pakistan] has made investments in market treasury bills, as detailed above, in compliance with the Supreme Court of Pakistan orders in Case C.M.A. No. 6155 of 2018 in Constitution Petition No. 57 of 2016.”

    While the journalist seems to have confused investments in treasury bills with utility bills, people did not let go of the blunder easy.

    The allegations were also reported to the Pakistan Electronic Media Authority (PEMRA), which took action against the journalist and issued a press statement on its Twitter handle:

    “PEMRA has issued a show-cause notice over the false and baseless analysis aired on GNN,” the statement read. It added that the analysis was in violation of the SC’s orders as well as PEMRA regulations.

    Seeking the channel’s response, the media watchdog also warned of action under relevant laws.

    Meanwhile, Bakhsh has clarified:

    DAMS FUND:

    Established in July 2018 by then chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar, the dams fund is aimed at raising funds for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams.

    Later, PM Imran Khan also announced joining hands with the CJP for the cause, which resulted in the fund crossing the Rs10 billion mark after generous donations by both resident and overseas Pakistanis.

    After investments in treasury bills, the current account balance of the fund stands at Rs17 million.

  • Commando, who rescued Abhinandan from mob, martyred in Indian firing?

    Commando, who rescued Abhinandan from mob, martyred in Indian firing?

    A commando of the Special Services Group (SSG), “who had rescued Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Abhinandan Varthaman from the mob”, has embraced martyrdom, Indian media reports claimed Thursday.

    Wing Commander Abhinandan, who was piloting an intruding MiG-21 fighter jet downed by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in February this year, was captured by villagers in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). They were trying to lynch the pilot before Pakistani troops had reached the site to rescue him.

    In a video that went viral on social media, Abhinandan had also praised Pakistan Army officials as “thorough gentlemen” for having saved him from the mob.

    With SSG Naib Subedar Ahmed Khan Awan recently embracing martyrdom in the Kel Sector as Indian army resorted to unprovoked firing across the Line of Control (LoC), media reports said he was among the personnel “who captured Abhinandan”.

    However, sources privy to the development informed The Current that there was no truth to the claims. They also hinted at the possibility of Indian media linking the two personnel merely on the basis of their beards.

    The claims come just days after Ahmed Khan was laid to rest in his native graveyard in Attock, with full military honours. The martyr has left his mother, wife, three sons and two daughters in mourning.

    Joining the army in 1998, Khan was recently deployed in the Kel Sector where he embraced martyrdom defending his motherland.

  • Amazon forest burns, President Jair Bolsonaro accuses NGOs of setting fires

    Fires are raging at a record rate in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, and the Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, has accused environmental groups of setting fires, international news media outlets have reported.

    According to the reports, the skies darkened over San Paulo, Brazil, for an hour Monday afternoon after winds carried smoke from about 1,700 miles away.

    Dramatic images and videos on social media show giant plumes of smoke rising from the greenery and the hashtags Pray for Amazonas and Amazon Rainforest started trending on Twitter soon after.

    Environmental groups blame Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, for the endangerment of the vital rainforest as they accused him of relaxing environmental controls in the country and encouraging deforestation.

    The scientists have warned that the increasing number of fires will strike a devastating blow to the fight against climate change.

    The research data shared from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) shows that Brazil has seen 72,843 fires this year, with more than half in the Amazon region, making it an 80% increase compared with the same period last year.

    The Amazon is often referred to as the planet’s lungs, as it produces 20% of the oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere and is considered vital in slowing global warming.

    It is the largest rainforest on the planet and is home to uncountable species of fauna and flora.

  • Pakistan becomes first country in South East Asia to conduct successful 5G test

    Pakistan becomes first country in South East Asia to conduct successful 5G test

    Pakistan has become the first country in South East Asia to conduct a successful 5G network test, Dunya News has reported.

    According to the reports, Chinese telecom company Zong conducted the test on Pakistan’s Independence Day (August 14), paving way for a new digital revolution in the country.

    5G is the fifth generation of cellular network technology with 10 times faster data download and upload speeds as compared to 4G, with wider coverage and more stable connections.

    The network’s home router speed has been recorded as four 4 gigabytes (GB) per second, which means that with 5G you can download a 50 GB file in just two minutes.

    It is estimated that 5G technology will bring industrial opportunities worth $1.2 trillion to South Asia and South East Asia over the next five years.

    Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had in June, invited applications for 5G wireless network trials in the country and presented the framework for test and development of future technologies.