Tag: topnews

  • July remittances post significant hike

    July remittances post significant hike

    The Pakistani diaspora has sent $3 billion back home in July, 48 percent higher than the previous year, The News has reported.
    State Bank Pakistan (SBP) data shows that remittances from Saudi Arabia increased by 56 percent to $761 million in July, while those from the United Arab Emirates increased by $611 million.
    The percentage reflected a 94 percent surge from the UAE compared to July 2023.

    Remittances from the United Kingdom totaled $443 million, a 45 percent increase from the previous year. Workers also sent $300 million from the United States, a 24 percent hike from last July.
    The research director at AKD Securities Limited, Awais Ashraf said, ‘’This increase is mainly due to the movement of worker remittance into the formal channel, spurred by the reduced rate difference between exchange companies and the interbank market’’.

    Throughout FY24, Pakistan posted a current account deficit of $681 million, equivalent to 0.2 percent of the gross domestic product.

  • Racial discrimination increases in Pakistan; suggests ICERD report

    A Pakistan delegation led by the Secretary of Human Rights, Senator Mumtaz Zehri, and Senator Khalil on Thrusday will submit reports drafted by the National Commission on Human Rights (NHCR) on the implementation of all forms of racial discrimination at Geneva.

    The report highlights the fact that the country lacks an understanding of racial discrimination as it is not defined under any domestic statute.

    Over the last three and half years, NHCR indicates an “exponential rise in the numbers imprisoned for blasphemy in Pakistan, from nine cases in 2021 to 750 cases in 2023.”

    During 2023, in Sindh, allegedly, “136 forced conversion cases occurred, the majority of whom were Hindu women and girls,” the report stated
    Quoting civil society, the report mentions, ‘‘Terrorism cases against minority communities in Punjab were 142 and 47 in Sindh, which is higher than the previous year’’.

    Chairperson (NCHR) Rabiya Javeri Agha said, ‘’Pakistan is a home to the rich tapestry of ethnic groups and religious minorities; while the diversity is a source of cultural richness, it also presents significant challenges related to ethnic and racial discrimination’’.

    The report calls for introducing programmes to curb extremism and hate speech, establishing special police units, emphasising tolerance, reforming Madrassa education, and promoting human rights responsibilities.

  • 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.

  • The government has only two months, Imran Khan predicts

    The government has only two months, Imran Khan predicts

    Founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has predicted that the incumbent government, led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), will last only two more months.

    Inside Rawalpindi Adiala’s jail, the former Prime Minister told journalists, ‘’The government is plunging into a quagmire; however, the rulers are fools and unable to understand this.’’

    ’I am predicting this from prison that this government has only two more months.’’
    He also said he has enough time, but the incumbent rulers are running out of time.

    Earlier, Imran offered to negotiate with the stakeholders in power by selecting Chief Milli Awami Party (MAP) Mahmood Khan Achakzai from his side.

  • Why do Pakistanis want to leave their country?

    Why do Pakistanis want to leave their country?

    To understand the reasons, we first need to understand the accelerating crisis in Pakistan. A big number of people are trying to leave Pakistan as economic conditions worsen day by day. The country is drowning in debts.

    According to the Business Recorder, Pakistan’s external debt and liabilities have soared to 130.179 billion dollars in May 2024 and total public debt at the end of Mar 2024 was 67.525 trillion rupees. Plus Consultant, a research organization, says that 74 percent of Pakistanis cannot meet their expenditures.

    Economic stability comes with political stability. The country is facing political instability from inside and outside its borders. There is no political consensus on defining national interest and political rivalry creates more chaos.

    The impact of this situation can be seen in different social entities. Worst kind of intolerance is being observed in the society. An alarming situation for rapidly growing population and very limited opportunities. Conclusively, multiple factors linked to the economic and political instability in Pakistan are being observed the middle class. They try to find ways to avail opportunities available in the global market.

    According to Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment, 13.65 million skilled and educated people were working abroad till June 2024. Among those, 78185 are accountants, 36731 doctors, 10932 engineers, and 23027 teachers. 13 million of them went to Gulf countries. These are the registered number of employees. Remittances data shows that in the FY23, total remittances were 2187.1 million US dollars which increased to 3158.3 million US dollars in the FY24.

    This year, more than 700,000 people already left Pakistan for a better future. This number was 862625 and 832339 in the years 2023 and 2022 respectively. However, politicians consider overseas Pakistanis as an asset as they contribute a lot in the economy of Pakistan.

  • CJP offers apology over delay of justice to murder convict

    CJP offers apology over delay of justice to murder convict

    Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has ordered the immediate release of a man scheduled to be set free six years ago.
    Advocate Ahmad Shuja Butt, the convict’s lawyer, told the appellate bench that Mohammad Akram, a resident of Khanewal who was convicted in 1997 of murder, was still in jail six years after the reconciliation of both parties.

    Justice Isa offered an apology for the Apex Court’s inability to serve justice.
    In its order, the five-member Shariat appellate bench stated that the conclusion took time to reach due to the lack of proper assistance.

  • ‘Resilient spirit’, Pakistan extends solidarity with the people of Bangladesh

    ‘Resilient spirit’, Pakistan extends solidarity with the people of Bangladesh

    As Bangladesh grapples with the the end of a historic uprising, Pakistan extended solidarity with the country’s people and wished for peace and normalcy.

    The Ministry of Foreign Office (MOFO) stated in a press release that, ‘’the government and people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with the people of Bangladesh and sincerely hope for a peaceful and swift return to normalcy’’.
    ‘’We are confident that the resilient spirit and unity of the Bangladeshi people will lead them towards a harmonious future,’’ the statement further stated.

    On Monday, Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule ended when demonstrators stormed into her palace and parliament.

  • One lawmaker opposed the resolution on Kashmir

    One lawmaker opposed the resolution on Kashmir

    The Youm-I-Istehsaal-i-Kashmir Day Resolution, presented by Safron and Kashmir Affairs minister Amir Maqam in the national assembly, was unanimously supported, demonstrating strong unity in the cause of Kashmir except for one lawmaker, Chief of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) Mahmood Khan Achakzai.

    The Member National Assembly opposed the resolution, arguing that the draft should be amended before being passed by parliament.

    In a hard-hitting speech, he said, ‘‘We should ask the Kashmiris which country they want to join’’.

    The resolution demanded India release political prisoners, stop the ongoing violation of human rights, provide humanitarian aid, and sincerely implement the relevant resolution of the United Security Council so that Kashmiri people can determine their future through the democratic process of a fair and partial plebiscite under the define guidance of the United Nations.

    In response, after being called ‘havaldar’ by the achakzai, the speaker elaborated that he was proud of being called a havaldar as he is the country’s frontline soldier.

  • Pakistani man with strong ties to Iran charged in US with attempt to carry out assassinations

    Pakistani man with strong ties to Iran charged in US with attempt to carry out assassinations

    A United States Federal court in Brooklyn has charged a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran, Asif Merchant, also known as “Asif Raza Merchant,” 46, with murder-for-hire as part of a scheme to assassinate a politician or U.S. government officials on U.S. soil, including potentially former President Donald Trump.

    Asif travelled to New York in June to meet with people he thought he was recruiting for carrying out assassinations, including paying $5,000 advance to two men, who turned out to be undercover law enforcement officers, Associated Press reported.

    He was arrested in July after he told his would-be assassins that they would get further instruction, including the targets’ identities, in August or September after he returned to Pakistan.

    “This dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today’s charges allegedly was orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.

    The Associated Press also reported that Asif also indicated to his associate that he wanted a “political person” to be killed, mapping out on a napkin the different strategies on how the target could be killed.

    Journalist Iftikhar Firdous posted on X, “His case file on the U.S. Justice Department’s website shows that he has a wife and children both in Iran and Pakistan while he has been consistently travelling to Iran, Syria and Iraq. This would be the second incident this year where Pakistani nationals with ties to Iranian militias in the Middle East have been arrested by the FBI.”

  • Employees getting Rs 15 billion of free electricity: Secretary Power Division

    Employees getting Rs 15 billion of free electricity: Secretary Power Division

    The Senate’s Standing Committee on Energy has been briefed by the Secretary of Power Division that 190,000 employees are being given free electricity worth 15 billion rupees annually.

    He said, “Our electricity demand for industry is about 25 percent, decreasing over time.”

    The Secretary explained that 25 million employees of 400 units received a 592 billion subsidy, which has now increased by Rs 692 billion. “244 billion was taken from industry and given to domestic consumers,” he told the Committee.

    Senator Mohsin Aziz remarked, “IPP has become a dragon, and people are on the streets.”

    The federal minister for power and energy said, “Even if we get five rupees from IPP payments, we will help poor people.”

    The minister opined that electricity theft can be reduced with privatisation and digitisation.