Tag: trending

  • US Secretary of State hints at normalisation of Saudi-Israel ties while Kingdom stresses on establishment of Palestine

    US Secretary of State hints at normalisation of Saudi-Israel ties while Kingdom stresses on establishment of Palestine

    U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has claimed on Thursday that the United States and Saudi Arabia have made “good progress” in talks on normalising ties between the kingdom and Israel. However, he did not provide a timeline for concluding the deal.

    “I believe we can reach an agreement, which would present a historic opportunity for the two nations, but also for the region as a whole,” Blinken said at a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo.

    Talks on normalisation had been put on ice after Oct 7 but conversations have resumed in recent months.

    While trying for a ceasefire in the Gaza war, the Biden administration has been working to secure a normalisation deal as well. However, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries want the creation of a Palestinian state to be part of any such deal with Israel.

    Saudi Arabia is also looking to sign a mutual defence pact with Washington and get U.S. support for its civil nuclear program. Blinken discussed the topics on Wednesday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah during an official visit.

    “We had a very good discussion about the work that we’ve been doing for many months now on normalisation, and that work is moving forward. We’re continuing to make good progress,” Blinken said but added that he could not offer a timeframe.

    Earlier a senior State Department official said Washington and Riyadh were down to a handful of bilateral issues and there was political will to address those gaps.

    A pact giving the world’s biggest oil exporter U.S. military protection in exchange for normalisation would reshape the Middle East by uniting two long-time foes and binding Riyadh to Washington at a time when China is making inroads in the region.

    For such a deal to advance, Israel needs to agree to a pathway for creation of an independent Palestinian state, a prospect that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected.

    Washington sees any normalisation deal woven into post-war planning that would include Arab countries providing security guarantees for Israel in return for the creation of a Palestinian state under a reformed Palestinian Authority.

    Blinken did not elaborate how Washington would overcome Netanyahu’s objections to creation of a Palestinian state, but said the ongoing violence benefited Iran.

    “The perpetuation of this cycle only benefits Iran and the proxies that are working for it. So I think as that choice is clear, people will begin to really think about it and make decisions,” Blinken said.

    Until Oct 7, both Israeli and Saudi leaders had been saying they were moving steadily toward a deal that could have reshaped the Middle East.

    Five months of war in the densely populated Gaza enclave have triggered starvation and food shortages.

    The head of the World Health Organization said only opening more border crossings for trucks carrying aid could prevent famine in Gaza.

  • SC declares dismissal of former IHC judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui unlawful.

    SC declares dismissal of former IHC judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui unlawful.

    The Supreme Court on Friday ruled the dismissal of former Islamabad High Court (IHC) senior judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui as illegal, issuing directions that he may now be considered a retired judge.

    The decision was announced by a five-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Irfan Saadat. The bench had reserved the verdict on Aziz’s plea in January this year.

    In his petition, the former judge challenged the decision of Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) removing him from office and an Oct 11, 2018 notification because of which he was dismissed for a controversial speech he had delivered at Rawalpindi Bar Association.

    In his speech, Aziz blamed the country’s premier spy agency ISI of illegally using their influence to manipulate the court proceedings and forming their choice of benches in cases related to indictment of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

    However, since the court noticed that since the former judge had attained the age of 62 years, he would not be able to resume his previous service as a judge. “Consequently, Justice Siddiqui shall be deemed to have retired as a judge of the IHC and he will be entitled to receive all the benefits and privileges due to a retired judge, by allowing these petitions in the above term,” it stated.

  • Zardari wants to use presidential protection in NAB cases

    Zardari wants to use presidential protection in NAB cases

    President Asif Ali Zardari has filed for Presidential immunity under Article 248 of the Constitution in two National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases. The clause provides protection to high-ranking state officials from all legal proceedings in court for any action taken by them during their terms in office.

    In the Park Lane Case, Mr Zardari is accused of allegedly using his influence to extract loans from the state exchequer for dummy corporations during his term as the President from 2008 to 2013. It is important to note that Mr Zardari, along with his sister and several other business associates, are accused in this case as well. However, the Presidential immunity only protects Mr Zardari.

    The other NAB case is known as the Thatta Water Supply reference in which Asif Ali Zardari and others are accused of illegally awarding different contracts to private contractors. Zardari’s counsel emphasized that President Zardari’s status as the country’s elected head granted him immunity from legal action, thus rendering the continuation of the case against him untenable.

    The accountability court has since issued a notice to the NAB, seeking a response to Mr Zardari’s application for immunity by April 22.

    President Asif Ali Zardari has filed for Presidential immunity under Article 248 of the Constitution in two National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases. The clause provides protection to high-ranking state officials from all legal proceedings in court for any action taken by them during their terms in office.

    In the Park Lane Case, Mr Zardari is accused of allegedly using his influence to extract loans from the state exchequer for dummy corporations during his term as the President from 2008 to 2013. It is important to note that Mr Zardari, along with his sister and several other business associates, are accused in this case as well. However, the Presidential immunity only protects Mr Zardari.

    The other NAB case is known as the Thatta Water Supply reference in which Asif Ali Zardari and others are accused of illegally awarding different contracts to private contractors. Zardari’s counsel emphasized that President Zardari’s status as the country’s elected head granted him immunity from legal action, thus rendering the continuation of the case against him untenable.

    The accountability court has since issued a notice to the NAB, seeking a response to Mr Zardari’s application for immunity by April 22.

  • Who is AR Rahman’s favourite director to work with?

    Who is AR Rahman’s favourite director to work with?

    Bollywood maestro AR Rahman has composed music for nearly all of the major league directors in Bollywood. But which director is the composer’s favourite?

    Rahman recently talked about director Imtiaz Ali and his new movie, Amar Singh Chamkila. He told News18 that Amar Singh Chamkila is “a very naughty” film.

    “I love working with Imtiaz. He is very friendly. You know, with certain people, work is easy and there’s no pressure.
    With him, there’s never been pressure at all. I always wanted to do Punjabi music. I love the power in the language in music. So this was a great chance.”

    Speaking about the film, he said, “It is a very naughty picture, we had to find the place for music. If you look at it, Chamika is a composer, lyricist and singer.

    The question I asked was, ‘Why am I needed?’ [Then] I said, oh! We can do this part, we can make it like a musical where everybody sings about Chamkila blaming him for the good or the bad. That’s the director’s point of view and that was exciting.”

    The movie tells the real story of Amar Singh Chamkila, a famous singer in Punjab. He came from a poor background but became very popular in the ’80s, making a lot of people angry along the way. He was killed when he was only 27-years-old.

    ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ will be available for streaming on Netflix India starting April 12. The movie features Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra.
    “Chamkila was the biggest star in the 1980s, which was a really tough time for Punjab.
    Punjab has faced many difficult times, and this was one of the toughest.

    We’re talking about one artist who was killed… I’ve only shown his life, but it represents the lives of many other artists in Punjab and around the world, who face the challenge of being famous and targeted at the same time,” Imtiaz Ali told PTI.

  • Two army officials martyred in suicide blast in DI Khan

    Two army officials martyred in suicide blast in DI Khan

    The military’s media wing reported on Friday that a suicide blast on a convoy resulted in the deaths of two soldiers who embraced martyrdom. 

    The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced that a suicide bomber detonated himself near a convoy on Thursday.

    “Resultantly, two brave sons of soil, Naib Subedar Yasir Shakeel, 38, resident of District Kohat, and Sepoy Tahir Naveed, 34, resident of District Kohat, embraced shahadat (martyrdom),” the ISPR said.

    The military’s media wing also said that security forces are committed to eliminating the terrorism from the country.

    “Moreover, the perpetrators of this cowardly attack will be brought to justice,” it said.

    On the other hand, armed forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan’s Panjgur district on Thursday, during which one terrorist was killed and two others sustained injuries, the ISPR said.

  • List of famous people getting civilian awards on March 23

    List of famous people getting civilian awards on March 23

    Presidential Civil Awards are given to people who are really good at what they do. The government of Pakistan made a list of these people on August 14, 2023, Independence Day. They will get their awards on March 23, 2024, Pakistan Day.

    Here are some artists who will get awards:

    HILAL-I-IMTIAZ
    Rahat Ali Khan — for qawwali
    Mohammad Ahmed Shah — for culture
    Mehmood Ahmed Tahir Bhatti — for directing films and designing fashion

    SITARA-I-IMTIAZ
    Bilal Lashari — for directing, filming, and writing scripts
    Satish Anand — for producing and distributing films
    Javed Bashir Ahmad, Faakhir Mehmood, and Shabnam — for singing
    PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR PRIDE OF PERFORMANCE
    Shazia Manzoor, Dhai Bai alias Mai Dhai, and Hamayoon Khan Arts — for singing
    Inayat Hussain Bhatti (late) — for acting, producing, directing, and writing scripts for films
    Zulfiqar Ali Attre — for composing music
    Ajab Gul — for acting and directing
    Ishrat Abass — for drama, theater, radio, and acting
    Shakir Zeb — for directing music
    Qadir Bux Mithoo — for comedy
    Mussarrat Kalanchvi — for writing Urdu and Saraiki fiction and plays
    Adnan Siddiqui — for acting, hosting, and producing
    Zubaida (Naghma) — for being a film artist
    Hassan Askari — for directing and writing films
    Sheema Kermani — for classical dancing and choreography
    Naseer Baig Mirza — for comparing, writing, and producing

    TAMGHA-I-IMTIAZ
    Sajal Ali — for acting
    Juggan Kazim — for anchoring and acting
    Abdul Batin Farooqi — for acting
    Almas Khan Khalil — for singing folk Pashto songs
    Fazal Wahab Dard — for singing
    Ustad Rustam Fateh Ali Khan — for singing classical music
    Imran Aziz Mian — for singing Qawwali
    Gulraiz Ghouri and Rahmatullah Khan — for photography
    Khalid Bin Shaheen — for acting and producing
    Shahzad Rafique — for directing films
    Fizza Ali Meerza and Amjad Sheikh — for producing and writing for screens
    Abdul Wasay Chaudhary — for acting in films and dramas
    Farooq Hassan — for hosting.

  • Drama stirs up as Khan’s presence in  Punjab Assembly takes stage

    Drama stirs up as Khan’s presence in  Punjab Assembly takes stage

    Imran Khan, incarcerated founder of PTI, caused chaos in the Punjab Assembly on Thursday as a portrait of the former prime minister was placed on the opposition leader’s seat, leading to disorder in the house. Members of the treasury walked out after the chair refused to take any action.

    During Thursday’s budget session, which resumed after a two-day break, Deputy Speaker Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channar chaired the session. PML-N lawmakers Malik Waheed and Bilal Yameen protested when they saw Mr. Khan’s portrait on opposition leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachhar’s seat.

    On a point of order, they demanded the chair remove the portrait of a person “who has been convicted by a court of law and is still behind bars.” They claimed that bringing the picture of a convict into the house was against assembly rules.

    The chair advised the protesters to join the budget session instead of raising objections. However, the two PML-N members kept protesting, interrupting the session. They then left when the deputy speaker didn’t make a decision about the portrait.

  • IMF wants Pakistan to increase petrol prices

    IMF wants Pakistan to increase petrol prices

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) conveyed to the Pakistani authorities that while the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) has considerably increased in recent years, the taxation of petroleum products has declined since 2019. “The relatively low rate of taxation of petrol is also reflected in the sale price relative to other countries.” The IMF emphasized that there is a difference of gasoline prices when compared to selected neighboring countries and emerging economies.

    The average 2023 price of gasoline at the pump was $1.12 per litre against $0.97 per litre in Pakistan. The IMF report said that taking off the exemption of petroleum products under the Sales Tax would increase prices by 18% with the standard rate of General Sales Tax.
    Moreover, the IMF has also recommended in its Technical Assistance Report with the Pakistani authorities to raise taxes on domestically manufactured automobiles and on luxury goods such as yachts. It also said to increase border control to stop smuggling of oil derivatives.

    Pakistan faces a problem of smuggling especially on it Western borders with both Iran and Afghanistan. A 2023 Civil Intelligence Agency report exposed that Pakistan faced loss of more than Rs. 60 billion annually due to smuggling of more than 2.81 billion litres of oil from Iran to Pakistan, as per the report of Business Recorder.

    The Fund also recommended the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to tax e-cigarettes equal to tobacco in the country.

  • Government likely to extend new IMF programme for three years, says Shehbaz Sharif

    Government likely to extend new IMF programme for three years, says Shehbaz Sharif

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has indicated that the government is likely to extend the new International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme for three years.

    “The new tranche of loan is likely to be received from the IMF in a few days, however, we would need another programme,” he said while addressing a session of the Special Investment Facilitation Council’s (SIFC) apex committee attended by civil-military leadership on Thursday.

    Shehbaz Sharif also stated that the presence of civil-military leadership, including elected lawmakers, in the session is a clear message of unity, development, and prosperity for the country.

    The PM also said that the former coalition government, comprised of 13 political parties, prioritised the country over politics.

    “There are major challenges to national economy. The SIFC is an important platform which was primarily establishment to remove hurdles in foreign investments, and it held several meetings during the last eight months.” Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir played vital role in SIFC’s formation, he added.

  • What is El Nino effect and how is it impacting global sea levels?

    What is El Nino effect and how is it impacting global sea levels?

    Global average sea levels rose by about 0.3 inches (one-third of an inch) from 2022 to 2023 — nearly four times the increase of the previous year — Nasa said on Thursday, attributing the “significant jump” to a strong El Nino and a warming climate.

    The Nasa-led analysis is based on more than 30 years of satellite observations, with the initial satellite launching in 1992 and the latest in 2020.

    Overall, sea levels have risen by around four inches since 1993. The rate of increase has also accelerated, more than doubling from 0.07 inches per year in 1993, to the current rate of 0.17 inches per year.

    “Current rates of acceleration mean that we are on track to add another 20 centimetres (eight inches) of global mean sea level by 2050,” said Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, director for the Nasa sea level change team and the ocean physics programme in Washington.

    That would be double the amount of change in the next three decades compared to the previous century, she said, creating a future where flooding is far more frequent and catastrophic than today.

    The immediate cause of the spike is the El Nino weather effect, which replaced the La Nina from 2021 to 2022, when the sea level rose around 0.08 inches.

    El Nino involves warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific.

    The term El Niño (Spanish for ‘the Christ Child’) refers to a warming of the ocean surface, or above-average sea surface temperatures, in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The low-level surface winds, which normally blow from east to west along the equator (“easterly winds”), instead weaken or, in some cases, start blowing the other direction (from west to east or “westerly winds”). El Niño recurs irregularly, from two years to a decade, and no two events are exactly alike. El Niño events can disrupt normal weather patterns globally, asserts US Geological Survey.