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Author: News Desk

  • ECP allots election symbols to 150 parties for February 8 elections

    ECP allots election symbols to 150 parties for February 8 elections

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has on Monday allotted election symbols to 150 political parties that are contesting seats in the National Assembly (NA) and provincial assemblies for the upcoming general election set to take place on February 8, 2024.

    After the Supreme Court’s ‘bat’ symbol verdict announced late on Saturday, former ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was missing from the list of published on the ECP website.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) has been allotted ‘tiger’ symbol, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) ‘arrow’, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ‘sword’, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-Nazriati (PTI-N) ‘batsman’, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) ‘eagle’, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) ‘kite’, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) ‘book’, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI) ‘scale’, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTI-P) ‘turban’, Balochistan National Party (BNP) ‘axe’, Awami National Party (ANP) ‘lantern’, Balochistan National Party Awami ‘camel’ and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) ‘cow’.

    Last week on Saturday, the ECP issued a notice to returning officers to not allot an election symbol to any election candidate who belongs to another political party.

    The five-member bench of the commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, issued the order, which said: “Therefore, in exercise of powers, conferred upon the commission under Section 4 of the Elections Act, 2017, the commission hereby, directs that no symbol of any political party be allowed to any such candidate who is member of another political party and seeks allocation of symbol of other political party.”

    Electoral authorities had already allotted poll symbols to 117 independent candidates.

  • Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden marries long-time beau at 43

    Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden marries long-time beau at 43

    Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has married long-time beau Clark Gayford in an intimate ceremony on January 13. The two have been together for a decade now and got engaged five years ago. Their wedding plans got cancelled after the COVID-19 pandemic.


    Ardern, 43, and Gayford, 47, had scheduled their wedding for early 2022 after getting engaged in May 2019 but had to postpone it due to the pandemic, Reuters has said.


    In a post shared on Instagram, Jacinda shared a picture from the wedding with the caption, “Worth the wait”.


    The couple’s five-year-old daughter Neve walked down the aisle with her father, wearing a dress made of fabric from her grandmother Laurell Ardern’s wedding dress, the New Zealand Herald reported.


    According to the news site Stuff, the pair’s special day was attended by some 50 to 75 guests, including opposition leader Chris Hipkins, Ardern’s successor as prime minister, the New Zealand Herald said.


    Ardern became a global icon for women in leadership and her left-leaning politics. The key events during her tenure were the attack on Christchurch Mosque and the pandemic of Covid-19.

    She was inspired by Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto. While being Prime Minister, she paid tribute to the late Benazir Bhutto, a former Pakistani prime minister, during her Harvard University Commencement address. Bhutto was the first to give birth in office and Ardern was the second, her daughter was born on Bhutto’s birthday. “The path she carved as a woman feels as relevant today as it was decades ago, and so too is the message she shared here, in this place,” Ardern said about Bhutto’s own 1989 commencement address at Harvard entitled “Democratic nations must unite.”

    Arden gave her final speech in January last year, where she told Gayford, a New Zealand television presenter, “Let’s finally get married.”

  • Game of Thrones’ actors read South Africa’s case file charging Israel with genocide at ICJ

    Game of Thrones’ actors read South Africa’s case file charging Israel with genocide at ICJ

    Famous actors from ‘Game of Thrones’ read excerpts from South Africa’s case filed at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israeli genocide of Palestinians.

    Among dozens of readers were the megahit series’ stars Charles Dance, Lena Heady, Liam Cunningham, and Carice van Houten. Other notable names include Hollywood veteran Susan Sarandon, comedy film star Steve Coogan, Tobias Menzies, and Tunde Adebimpe.

    The actors read excerpts in support of South Africa’s charges against Israel. The hearing of the first day, January 11, was not aired by the mainstream western media when South Africa laid out its case.

    The case put in motion by South Africa in The Hague, Netherlands, called for the court to look into the genocide being committed by Israel against Palestinians and impose emergency measures, putting a stop to the offensives at urgent basis.

  • Pakistan’s gold prices slide amidst strengthened rupee and international rate hike

    Pakistan’s gold prices slide amidst strengthened rupee and international rate hike

    In Pakistan, the domestic gold price continued its decline for the second consecutive week, with the cost of 24-karat gold dropping by Rs550 per tola to Rs217,450. 

    The Karachi Sarafa Association noted that 24-karat gold concluded the week’s last trading session with a gain of Rs950 per tola. 

    The 10-gramme 24-karat gold settled at Rs186,428, reflecting a gain of Rs814, while the 10-gramme 22-karat gold closed at Rs170,146.

    The international spot rate, used for calculating local rates, closed at $2,068, marking a $3 increase compared to last week. 

    Escalating concerns over the Middle East conflict led to a rise in the safe-haven asset, but gains were limited due to hawkish remarks from Federal Reserve officials.

    Despite the international rate showing an uptick, domestic bullion faced a downside this week due to the strengthened value of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar. 

    The PKR marked its ninth consecutive weekly gain against the USD, driven by positive developments as the Executive Board of the IMF concluded the first review of Pakistan’s economic reform programme under the Stand-by Arrangement. 

    This successful review further boosted investor confidence, contributing significantly to the PKR’s upward trend against the dollar.

    The interplay between the domestic gold price and the local rupee is evident, as gold, denominated in US dollars, tends to decrease in value when the home currency appreciates against the greenback.

  • Junaid Jamshed’s son, Saifullah, ties knot in an intimate ceremony

    Junaid Jamshed’s son, Saifullah, ties knot in an intimate ceremony

    Saifullah, the son of the late singer-turned-preacher Junaid Jamshed, has recently gotten married.

    Saifullah Junaid posted pictures of the beautiful ceremony on Instagram.

    He can be seen signing the marriage certificate in the presence of his relatives, dressed in a white shalwar kameez with a light pink waistcoat.

    In one picture, he can be seen holding his wife’s hand. Saifullah’s brother Babar Junaid was also present by his side in joy on the most special day of his brother’s life.

  • Govt expected to slash petrol prices for second half of January

    Govt expected to slash petrol prices for second half of January

    In a move aimed at providing relief to consumers, the government is expected to reduce petrol prices by more than Rs5 per litre for the second half of January.

    This decision comes as a response to the recent dip in global oil prices, ensuring that the benefits are passed on to the end-users.

    According to the latest pricing estimates until January 12, international petroleum prices have experienced a decline of 1 per cent over the last fortnight. This decrease in global prices may serve as a key factor in the government’s decision to revise the domestic petrol rates.

    On a different note, the price of High-Speed Diesel (HSD) is anticipated to see a slight uptick, with an expected increase of Rs2 per litre. This adjustment is attributed to a modest rise in international diesel prices during the relevant period.

    It’s crucial to highlight that one more session remains before the next pricing update, and the future trajectory of these prices will be contingent on global market movements and exchange rate fluctuations.

    Recalling the decisions from the previous fortnight, the government maintained petrol and diesel prices at Rs267.34 and Rs276.21 per litre, respectively.

    Additionally, there has been a marginal appreciation of the local currency against the USD since the previous fortnight’s pricing decision. The weighted average exchange rate now stands at approximately PKR 281.31 per USD. This development is expected to contribute to the adjustment of petrol prices in the domestic market.

    The official announcement of the revised prices is scheduled for midnight on January 15. The new prices will come into effect immediately and will be applicable for the rest of the month.

  • Pakistan imposes minimum export price on onions to tackle soaring local prices

    Pakistan imposes minimum export price on onions to tackle soaring local prices

    In a move aimed at stabilising local prices, the government announced on Friday the establishment of a minimum export price for onions and shallots at $1,200 per metric ton.

    The notification detailing this decision was issued by the Ministry of Commerce.

    This decision comes in response to the escalating local prices of onions and shallots, driven by a surge in demand in international markets.

    Exporters operating in the domestic market have been capitalising on India’s ban on the export of these items, resulting in a shortage for local consumers.

    The latest weekly inflation figures, ending on January 11, 2024, revealed a 1.36 per cent week-over-week increase in the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the Combined Group. Notably, the second-highest surge among all 51 items was witnessed in onion prices, which rose by 8.94 per cent.

    This move by the government is strategically designed to curb the impact of export-related activities on local availability and pricing, with a focus on maintaining stability in the market.

    The Ministry of Commerce’s notification underscores its commitment to addressing the challenges posed by increased international demand and its repercussions on the domestic front.

    As authorities strive to strike a balance between facilitating exports and ensuring the availability of essential commodities for local consumers, the implementation of the minimum export price serves as a significant step in mitigating the adverse effects of market dynamics on the pricing of onions and shallots within the country.

  • No Bat for PTI: Supreme Court

    No Bat for PTI: Supreme Court

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) suffered a significant setback as the Supreme Court (SC) overturned the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) January 10 decision, stripping the former ruling party of its ‘iconic’ electoral symbol, the bat. This development comes just days before the upcoming general elections, Geo reported on Saturday.

    A three-member bench — headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali — announced the verdict after a day-long hearing.

    The election commission had on December 22 barred the PTI party from keeping its ‘bat’ symbol for the upcoming February elections, citing irregularities in their internal polls that did not comply with the party’s own constitution and election laws.

  • Afghan child killed in Karachi in fight over garbage collection

    Afghan child killed in Karachi in fight over garbage collection

    A 5-year-old child, Shehzad Gul, was beaten to death in what is being described as a dispute over garbage collection between two groups in Surjani Town, Karachi, reports Dawn.


    The horrific incident took place in Sector-4B. Shehzad Gul was one of three children and had two sisters.


    The dispute erupted between two Afghans over the collection of garbage, which led to the murder. The suspect(s) had been identified and police were waiting for the family to lodge an FIR to formally initiate legal proceedings.

    The victim’s father, Gul Mohammad, told reporters that he had been collecting garbage from houses for the last one month. On Friday, his son and a daughter accompanied him to collect the garbage.


    During the work, he left both children for a while and went to another street and when he returned, he learned that his son had been injured after being hit with a hard and blunt instrument.
    He rushed the child to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) where doctors confirmed his death.
    The grief-stricken father said that he had been receiving “threats” from a man who had got the contract of garbage collection earlier. He suspected that his son was killed over that dispute.
    “I am a poor labourer who earns Rs13,000 on a monthly basis through garbage collection,” said the father.

  • Zayn Malik can sing in Urdu and fans are going crazy

    Zayn Malik can sing in Urdu and fans are going crazy

    British singer Zayn Malik teamed up with Pakistani music band ‘Aur’ to release an Urdu song called ‘Tu Hai Kahan’. The Pakistani band shared a short preview of the new song on Instagram, announcing its release. Zayn Malik lent his vocal talents to the song, as seen in a video where he recorded part of it in his own recording room. The final version includes vocals by Rafi, Osama, and Ahad from the ‘Aur’ band.

    Notably, ‘Aur’ gained widespread fame a few months ago with the same song ‘Tu Hai Kahan,’ which has amassed 92 million views on its music video. The collaboration with the British superstar adds another exciting chapter to their musical journey.

    The song released at 12pm on Friday, amassing massive hits within 24 hours. The song is a mellow, easy listen that we can predict will be on a lot of playlists.

    Something Zayn’s fans absolutely loved was that he sang in Urdu.

    The collaboration itself was significant.