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Author: News Desk

  • Kaala coat in Karachi; PTI favours lawyers for general elections  

    Kaala coat in Karachi; PTI favours lawyers for general elections  

    Pakistan Teheek-e-Insaf (PTI) has issued tickets to more than a dozen lawyers in Karachi to contest on national and Sindh assemblies in the upcoming general elections set to take place on February 8, 2024.

    PTI counsels are taking part in polls on seven National Assembly (NA) seats and four provincial assembly seats in Karachi. There are a total of 22 NA seats and 47 provincial assembly seats all over the city.

    Advocate Zahoor Uddin, who is the Insaf Lawyers Forum Karachi president, is contesting from NA-237 (East-III), Shujaat Ali Khan NA-243 (Keamari-II), Khalid Mehmood NA-231 (Malir-III), Advocate Haris Meo NA-233 (Korangi-II), Attaullah Khan NA-245 (West-II), Barrister Fayaz NA-247 (Central-I) and Barrister Uzair Ghauri from NA-249 (Central-III).

    Ashraf Samoo PS-89 (Malir-VI), Barrister Ali Tahir PS-101 (East-V), Advocate Ali Palh PS-103 (East-VII) and Rana Imran PS-123 (Central-II) are contesting elections for provincial assembly seats.

    Prominent PTI lawyers, including Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Latif Khosa, Salman Akram Raja, Shoaib Shaheen, and Sher Afzal Marwat, are also contesting elections in different cities of the country.

    “Lawyers supported and stood by the PTI in its testing times and handled the cases of party leaders, including Imran Khan. They truly deserved [party tickets],” PTI leader Khurram Sher Zaman said, talking to The News.

  • Man found hanging from bridge in Islamabad was mentally ill: Police

    Man found hanging from bridge in Islamabad was mentally ill: Police

    A video of a dead body hanging from the pedestrian bridge at Express Highway has gone viral on social media.

    Update: Islamabad police on Monday declared that the man who hung himself from the bridge was “mentally ill’.

    The details as per police investigation reveal that the full name of the 30-year-old deceased is Umar Shaham, son of Umar Bahadur. Further investigation is being carried out with the help of the family, reports Geo.

    “A dead body hanging from a bridge, in an incident that seems to be suicide, was discovered within the Aabpara Police Station’s jurisdiction […] and the deceased has been shifted to the PIMS hospital,” read the investigation officer’s (IO) report.

    Previously, a social media account named Islamabad Updates shared the disturbing video on X (formerly Twitter) earlier today. As per ARY News, the body kept hanging for several hours as it was not visible in the dense fog in Islamabad.


    The police has confirmed that they found the body of a young man identified as Umar, a resident of Mardan’s Katlang area. He is presumed to be 30 years old. Initial reports said that the young man had committed suicide, while an investigation has been launched into the incident.


    Police officials stated that the family of the deceased man has not been found even after several hours had passed.

  • National cricketers not happy with PCB’s NOC policy for foreign leagues

    National cricketers not happy with PCB’s NOC policy for foreign leagues

    National team players are unhappy over the non-issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for foreign leagues.

    According to Urdupoint sources, players have expressed strong reservations over PCB’s policy about NOCs for leagues, and have been engaged in several discussions with the team management on the matter.

    In their complaints to the team management, they have said that each player is being evaluated for issuance of NOC under different criteria. Some players have played three leagues within a year and they are of the view that other players should also be given NOC. If there is no national responsibility, the PCB will have to issue the NOC.

    They are questioning the utility of having two NOCs when they are not allowed to play the full league. Despite the national responsibility, PCB is not willing to issue NOC and the players cannot even seek compensation for being excluded from the central contract under unfair circumstances. Players have questioned how the workload is determined without any medical or biomechanical tests. Players can also consider opting out of central contracts in case of injustice. It may be noted that PCB has issued NOC to Azam Khan and Shadab Khan who have already played two leagues. In response to a query, the source acknowledged the tension in the board’s policy and said that if there is no permanent chairman, the NOC policy is also not permanent.

    A review of the NOC policy will be considered if a new chairman is appointed. It may be noted that wicketkeeper-batsman Muhammad Haris had to return from Dhaka without participating in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as the PCB refused to issue him a NOC. Harris arrived in Dhaka to represent Chattogram Challengers in the 10th edition of the BPL.

    However, PCB rejected his NOC request due to his participation in two leagues from July 2023. He played in Canada’s Global T20 League in July and Lanka Premier League in August 2023. Earlier, PCB had announced that they have given NOC for participating in the upcoming franchise-based leagues. According to the cricket board, the NOCs were issued as per the provisions of the players’ central contract.

    “This decision was made in the best interest of all stakeholders involved, balancing the importance of playing time with workload management”. Both the leagues started on January 19. Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Wasim Jr., Faheem Ashraf, Usman Qadir, and many other Pakistani stars are part of various BPL teams. Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, and Muhammad Amir will play from Desert Vipers Imad Wasim from Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20.

    Pacers Ihsanullah, Naseem Shah, and Muhammad Hasnain were not given NOCs because of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Haris, and Iftikhar Ahmed did not get NOC for BPL. Their NOCs are on hold as they have played two leagues since July 2023. Players under contract in the ILT20 are exempt from this requirement as they were signed by the franchises before the central contracts.

  • Why did Zaka Ashraf quit Pakistan Cricket Board?

    Why did Zaka Ashraf quit Pakistan Cricket Board?

    Zaka Ashraf, the former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee, resigned on January 19. At the time, the reason for his resignation was unknown.

    According to Geo News sources, personal reasons have been mentioned in the Zaka Ashraf’s resignation. Zaka Ashraf also resigned from the post of Chairman PCB Management Committee and Member Board of Governors.

    It should be noted that on January 22, Monday, caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi was approved to be appointed Chairman Management Committee of PCB.

    The caretaker prime minister has approved the appointment of Mohsin Naqvi. Sources say that the caretaker prime minister has also appointed Mohsin Naqvi as a member of the Board of Governors of PCB.

  • Ayesha Omar ‘surprised’ at rumours about dating Shoaib Malik

    Ayesha Omar ‘surprised’ at rumours about dating Shoaib Malik

    Ayesha Omar is no stranger to the trials and tribulations of being in the entertainment industry, including unfounded rumours.

    The actress shared her thoughts on the recent marriage of former captain Shoaib Malik and actress Sana Javed.

    Ayesha congratulated the newlyweds in the comments section of their photo. She praised the couple by writing “Mashallah” along with a red heart emoji, and also added a ‘safe from the evil eye’ emoji.


    It’s worth noting that in the past, there were speculations about a relationship between Shoaib Malik and Ayesha Umar when rumours circulated about differences between Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza.

    In an interview with Iffat Omar, Ayesha said, “I am very afraid of rumours. I used to get panic attacks. Some of my personal and private pictures circulated social media. Also, they made rumours about me and Shoaib as well. After my dating rumours with Shoaib went viral, was like, are u serious?”
    She added “People who know me also know my choice and principles.”

  • Pakistan’s exports surpass Rs4,300 billion, up by 35.33% in six months

    Pakistan’s exports surpass Rs4,300 billion, up by 35.33% in six months

    The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has reported a substantial increase of 35.33 per cent in the country’s exports in rupee terms during the first half of the current fiscal year, as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

    According to provisional data released by PBS, exports from July to December 2023 amounted to Rs4,300,752 million, a significant rise from Rs3,177,893 million recorded during the same period last year.

    On a year-on-year basis, exports for December 2023 witnessed a remarkable surge of 54.59 per cent, reaching Rs799,588 million, compared to Rs517,240 million in October 2022.

    Additionally, on a month-on-month basis, exports increased by 8.86 per cent when compared to the figure of Rs734,541 million reported in November 2023.

    The key commodities contributing to this growth in December 2023 were rice other than basmati (Rs124,040 million), knitwear (Rs103,898 million), readymade garments (Rs84,569 million), bedwear (Rs64,119 million), cotton cloth (Rs40,678 million), cotton yarn (Rs26,984 million), towels (Rs24,814 million), rice basmati (Rs22,888 million), articles excluding towels and bedwear (Rs16,991 million), and meat and meat preparations (Rs12,472 million).

    In contrast, imports during July–December 2023–24 amounted to Rs7,533,700 million, showing an increase of 8.20 per cent compared to Rs6,962,865 million during the corresponding period last year.

    On a year-on-year basis, December 2023 imports totaled Rs1,317,463 million, reflecting a 13.94 per cent increase from December 2022. Moreover, on a month-on-month basis, imports increased by 1.66 per cent in December 2023 compared to Rs1,295,968 million in November 2023.

    The main commodities of imports during December 2023 were petroleum crude (Rs158,260 million), petroleum products (Rs150,888 million), natural gas, liquified (Rs109,516 million), electric machinery & apparatus (Rs63,667 million), palm oil (Rs60,316 million), plastic materials (Rs52,218 million), mobile phones (Rs49,887 million), iron & steel (Rs41,654 million), iron and steel scrap (Rs30,426 million), and motor cars (Rs29,543 million).

    This surge in exports, coupled with a measured rise in imports, signifies a positive trend in Pakistan’s trade balance, reflecting the resilience and competitiveness of the country’s export sector.

  • Mohsin Naqvi Appointed Head of PCB Management Committee

    Mohsin Naqvi Appointed Head of PCB Management Committee

    Current interim Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi has been appointed as Appointed Head of Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman (PCB) Management Committee.

    In the past 13 months, the Pakistan Cricket Board has got its fourth new chairman. After accepting the resignation of former PCB Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf, Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar has nominated Mohsin Naqvi as his candidate in the PCB Governing Body.

    According to the PCB constitution, Election Commissioner Khawar Shah will form a 10-member board of governors as the interim chairman, with Mustafa Ramday as the other representative of the prime minister.

    Mohsin Naqvi will no longer be caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab after the general elections. After this, he will participate in the election of PCB chairman and become a strong candidate to become the head of the cricket board for three years.

    On January 19, Zaka Ashraf resigned from the post of PCB chairman, after serving in the post since July last year. He was initially appointed for four months and later, his tenure was extended by caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar till ODI World Cup 2023.

  • Track and trace system failure threatens Pakistan’s tobacco industry

    Track and trace system failure threatens Pakistan’s tobacco industry

    Amid the increase in trade of non-duty-paid cigarettes, representatives from the Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC) on Monday expressed profound apprehensions regarding the sustainability of their business.

    They attributed their concerns to ‘inappropriate’ policy measures.

    The recently released data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) Index unveiled a significant and alarming trend within the legitimate tobacco sector.

    According to the report, the production of the legitimate tobacco sector experienced a forty-fold decline compared to the overall LSM output between July 2023 and November 2023.

    Interestingly, despite this decline, the consumption of cigarettes has remained stagnant.

    This troubling trend highlights the adverse impact of policy decisions that disproportionately affect the legitimate tobacco industry.

    The representatives emphasised the necessity for a comprehensive and balanced approach to ensure a level playing field for the sector, ultimately securing its long-term sustainability.

    Despite the implementation of a Track and Trace System (TTS), the representatives pointed out the rising incidence of fake stamps being affixed to counterfeit packs of leading cigarette brands.

    According to APP, Qasim Tariq, Senior Business Development Manager, revealed that approximately 850 million counterfeit cigarette sticks are currently being sold across Pakistan, resulting in a substantial loss of around Rs5.7 billion.

    This rise in counterfeiting raises serious questions about the efficacy of the much-lauded track and trace system, which is yet to be implemented across local cigarette manufacturers in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

    The representatives urged law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to conduct extensive enforcement at the retail level to tackle this growing menace.

    Additionally, the representatives expressed concerns about a recent misleading report circulating in the media regarding missed revenue collection by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

    They refuted the claims in the report, stating that they are not only false but also raise questions about the intentions behind publishing such information.

    The report suggested that the illicit sector is less than 10 per cent across Pakistan, contradicting the FBR’s claim of illicit trade being over 36.5 per cent for the period in question.

    Furthermore, the report alleged that government revenue declined due to fiscal changes in the excise structure but failed to present the complete picture.

    The representatives clarified that from 2012–16, the government switched to a 2-tier structure from a 3-tier structure, causing revenues to fall by more than 25 per cent.

    The subsequent increase in excise in 2015-16 led to illicit trade hovering close to 50 per cent of the market. To combat this, the government reintroduced a 3-tier system, increasing revenues by more than 40 per cent and discouraging the illicit cigarette trade.

    The representatives emphasised the need for an extensive government-led national anti-illicit trade strategy, effective fiscal measures, and strict enforcement against illicit trade across the value chain, with a key focus on the retail level.

  • Gold price drops by Rs600 to Rs215,700 per tola in Pakistan

    Gold price drops by Rs600 to Rs215,700 per tola in Pakistan

    In Monday’s trading, the per-tola price of 24 karat gold in Pakistan witnessed a decrease, dropping by Rs600 to Rs215,700, as reported by the All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association. 

    This marks a slight dip compared to its previous sale at Rs215,300.

    Similarly, the cost of 10 grammes of 24 karat gold experienced a decline of Rs514, settling at Rs184,071, down from Rs184,585. The price of 10 grammes of 22 karat gold also saw a reduction to Rs168,731 from Rs169,203.

    Meanwhile, the silver market remained stable, with the per tola and ten-gramme prices maintaining their positions at Rs2,600 and Rs22,229.08, respectively.

    On the international front, the price of gold took a downward turn, decreasing by $8 to $2,042 from $2,050, according to the association’s report.

  • Pakistani rupee shows marginal strength, gains 4.51 paisa against US dollar

    Pakistani rupee shows marginal strength, gains 4.51 paisa against US dollar

    In Monday’s interbank session, the Pakistani rupee (PKR) exhibited a slight appreciation of 4.51 paisa against the US dollar (USD), settling at PKR 279.85 per USD, compared to the previous closing of PKR 279.9 per USD. The intraday fluctuations showed a bid high of Rs280.1 and an ask low of Rs279.8.

    In the open market, exchange companies quoted the dollar at 279 for buying and 281 for selling. Notably, Pakistan received the second installment of SDR 528 million, equivalent to $705.6 million, from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last week. 

    The first review report under the standby arrangement emphasised the importance of market-determined exchange rates and the gradual development of the foreign exchange (FX) market.

    Against major currencies, the PKR experienced fluctuations:

    Euro: lost 37.07 paisa, closing at 304.84 compared to the previous value of 304.47.

    British Pound: increased by 39.06 paisa, closing at 355.33 compared to 354.94 from a day ago.

    Swiss Franc: Saw losses of 20.03 paisa, closing at 322.08 compared to 322.28 in the previous session.

    Japanese yen: lost 0.19 paisa, closing at 1.8895 versus 1.8876 a day ago.

    Chinese Yuan: Lost 2.38 paisa, closing at 38.89 against 38.91 from the previous session.

    Saudi Riyal: Closed at 74.62 with a loss of 1.2 paisa from its value of 74.63 a day ago.