Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • Greta Thunberg calls for ceasefire in Gaza, freedom for Palestine

    Greta Thunberg calls for ceasefire in Gaza, freedom for Palestine

    Climate Change activist Greta Thunberg has raised her voice in calling for an end to the genocide in Palestine. She shared a post on Instagram, holding the poster ‘Free Gaza’ and announced that she was striking in solidarity with Palestine.

    “Week 270. Today we are striking in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza. The world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected.”

    The climate change activist also shared several accounts for her followers to educate themselves on the struggle for Free Palestine.

  • Arshad Sharif’s wife registers case against Kenyan police

    Arshad Sharif’s wife registers case against Kenyan police

    Javeria Siddique, the wife of Pakistani journalist and anchor Arshad Sharif who was killed in Kenya in 2022, has filed a petition in the Nairobi High Court on Thursday against the Kenyan police officials named in her husband’s murder case.

    Arshad Sharif was killed in Kenya on October 23 last year. The Kenyan police admitted at the time that Arshad’s car came under fire due to ‘mistaken identification’.

    After arresting the policemen involved in the incident, recent media reports have told of their reinstatement.

    Javeria has approached the court in Nairobi following this news, confirming in a conversation with Independent Urdu that an application has been filed in the High Court.

    According to Javeria: “GSU (Journal Service Unit) has been made a party to the petition filed. His accomplices include five police officers who were named in the murder case.

    In addition, the Attorney General of Kenya, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the IG National Police Service, the Independent Police and the National Police Service Commission have been made parties.”

    She further stated that she is the petitioner herself and is accompanied by the Kenya Union of Journalists, Kenya Correspondence Association. Apart from this, four international organisations, ICFJ, IWMF, Media Defense and Women Journalism are also included which will provide all kinds of support.

    She said that she got the idea of filing the application in Kenya because there has been no progress in the case in Pakistan.

    “No one has been arrested or punished in Kenya. When a nuclear state will not make any effort for any of its individuals, individual efforts have to be made,” she stated.

    “Individually, I have hired a lawyer to file the application because practising law in another country is difficult”, she added.

    Javeria Siddique also said that filing the application in Kenya was difficult and that no help was granted from Arshad’s friends except from international organisations, adding that there has been no progress in the case in the Supreme Court in Pakistan for two months because “the government had no intention to do so”.

  • Nawaz Sharif reaches Dubai to return to Pakistan

    Nawaz Sharif reaches Dubai to return to Pakistan

    Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head Nawaz Sharif has arrived in Dubai on Thursday ahead of his much-anticipated return to Pakistan.

    After four years of self-exile in London, the former three-time prime minister is scheduled to come back to Pakistan on Saturday, October 21, even though he has been sentenced to prison.

    He arrived a few hours late due to an important meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as reported by Geo News. Upon his arrival at the Dubai airport, he received “special protocol”.

    Nawaz is scheduled to have meetings with a specific set of individuals while staying in Dubai for two days. He will for Pakistan on Saturday morning, initially heading to Islamabad and then continuing on to Lahore.

    Nawaz is set to return to Pakistan on a chartered plane, with approximately 150 individuals, including journalists, politicians, and activists, who have booked tickets to accompany him on his journey.

    The three-time premier went to London on November 19, 2019, when he fell critically ill in prison.

  • India, Canada relations continue souring as diplomatic staff is thinned out

    India, Canada relations continue souring as diplomatic staff is thinned out

    Following the allegations of India’s involvement in the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a cultural centre in Surray, British Columbia on June 18, Canada expelled top Indian diplomat Pavan Kumar Rai who was allegedly the head of Indian Intelligence in Canada. “We’ve been clear we will not tolerate any form of foreign interference,” the Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly stated in a press conference on September 18. 

    In response, India asked a top-tier Canadian diplomat to leave the country in five days, citing “growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities”. 

    The gravity of the matter became clearer when Canada cancelled a trade mission to India that was scheduled for later this year.

    Since then, tensions are at an all time high between the two countries. On October 19, Melanie Joly confirmed to the media that 41 Canadian diplomats have left India after the Modi Government threatened to take back their diplomatic immunity. The two governments rushed into the decision after trying negotiations for two weeks. New Delhi posed the demand of “parity” in the number of diplomats between the two countries. Reportedly India had 21 accredited diplomats in Canada while the latter had 62 in India spread across four consulates in Mumbai, Chandigarh and Bengaluru. The immigration officers that catered applications from Nepal and Bhutan along with India have now been reduced from 27 to 5. However, the withdrawal of immunity is unilateral from India’s side-a violation of International Laws.  

    Canada, on the other hand, has decided to neither reciprocate nor “retaliate” because this would put the diplomats of other countries at risk. Even though, contrary to India’s claims of accredited diplomats, the registry of foreign representation by India shows the number to be 60 in Canada, Joly refused to comment on that and reiterated that because it is unprecedented, “we decided not to reciprocate”

  • Israel attacks church sheltering displaced Christians and Muslims

    The Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church, a shelter for several Palestinian families in Gaza, was struck by Israeli bombing on Thursday night.

    Muslims and Christians, together, were seeking refuge under its roof however, Israel military targeted the Church killing and injuring dozens.

    According to Gaza’s Hamas-run government media office, 18 Christian Palestinians were among the killed.

    The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has conveyed its “strongest condemnation” of the attack, saying that “targeting churches and their institutions, along with the shelters they provide to protect innocent citizens, especially children and women who have lost their homes due to Israeli air strikes on residential areas over the past 13 days, constitutes a war crime”.

    History of Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church

    At the site of Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church, a church was built back in 425 AD but in 1150s or 1160s, the Crusaders named it Saint Porphyrius Church after a bishop renowned for introducing Christianity to Gaza in 395 to 420 AD.

  • Possibility of big change in Pakistan squad against Australia

    Possibility of big change in Pakistan squad against Australia

    There is a possibility of a big change in the Pakistan cricket team for Friday’s match against Australia in the ICC ODI World Cup.

    Sources say that leg-spinner Osama Mir can be added to the Pakistan playing 11 on Saturday instead of vice-captain Shadab Khan who might be dropped. Khan has not been able to chalk up a good performance in the World Cup, leading to criticism from fans.

    The match between Pakistan and Australia will be played today at 1:30 p.m.

  • Knitwear tops the list: Pakistan’s exports surge by 25.54%

    In the fiscal year 2023–24, Pakistan’s exports, denominated in rupees, experienced a notable 25.54 per cent increase during the first quarter (Q1) compared to the previous year, as per the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

    Between July and September 2023, exports amounted to Rs2,013,533 million, marking a 25.54 per cent boost from the same period in the previous year, according to PBS’s provisional data.

    Looking at year-on-year figures, September 2023’s exports surged by 31.27 per cent, totaling Rs737,295 million, compared to Rs561,643 million in September 2022.

    On a month-to-month basis, exports grew by 6.06 per cent, reaching Rs737,295 million in August 2023.

    Key export categories in August 2023 included knitwear (Rs103,029 million), readymade garments (Rs74,608 million), bed wear (Rs69,234 million), cotton cloth (Rs51,891 million), oil seeds, nuts, and kernels (Rs46,571 million), cotton yarn (Rs33,815 million), rice and others (Rs32,324 million), towels (Rs25,116 million), rice basmati (Rs19,008 million), and miscellaneous articles, excluding towels and bed wear (Rs16,922 million).

    On the other hand, imports during July to September 2023 (FY2023-24) totaled Rs3,560,763 million, showing a decrease of 2.45 per cent compared to the same period in the previous year.

    In a year-on-year comparison, imports into Pakistan during September 2023 amounted to Rs1,189,167 million, a 2.52 per cent decline from September 2022.

    Month-on-month data indicated a 10.62 per cent increase in imports in September 2023 compared to August 2023.

    Key imported commodities in September 2023 included petroleum products (Rs162,087 million), petroleum crude (Rs146,179 million), liquefied natural gas (Rs75,331 million), palm oil (Rs61,388 million), plastic materials (Rs49,628 million), electric machinery and apparatus (Rs44,699 million), iron and steel (Rs44,191 million), mobile phones (Rs37,093 million), iron and steel scrap (Rs27,299 million), and pulses/leguminous vegetables (Rs22,208 million).

  • Positive change: Pakistan’s current account deficit shrinks to only $8 million

    Positive change: Pakistan’s current account deficit shrinks to only $8 million

    In September, Pakistan’s current account revealed a modest deficit of $8 million, as reported by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). 


    This marks a notable improvement from the $950 million deficit observed in July 2023, and a significant reduction compared to the $360 million deficit recorded in September of the previous year.

    To provide additional context, in July of this year, Pakistan faced a more substantial current account deficit of $809 million, the highest since October 2022, according to SBP data. 

    This figure, while lower than the $1.26 billion deficit in July 2022, sharply contrasts with June 2023 when the country enjoyed a surplus of $500 million in its current account.

    In terms of trade, central bank data shows that Pakistan’s exports of goods and services dipped to $2.654 billion in July 2023, down from $2.743 billion in July 2022. 

    Concurrently, total imports for July 2023 amounted to $5.03 billion, a decrease from the $6.07 billion recorded in the same period the previous year. In July of the preceding year, the trade balance in services registered a deficit of $32 million.

    Furthermore, there was a noticeable decline in worker remittances, with a year-on-year drop of 19.28 per cent. On a monthly basis, remittances decreased by 7.32 per cent to $2.027 billion.

  • Private airlines seize opportunity to charge high fares amid PIA flight disruptions

    Private airlines seize opportunity to charge high fares amid PIA flight disruptions

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the nation’s flagship carrier, is grappling with operational challenges caused by a shortage of fuel. 

    Concurrently, private airlines are capitalising on this situation for their own advantage.

    In light of the disruption in PIA’s flight operations, private airlines have swiftly increased their fares. Domestic flights are now priced at a range of Rs40,000 to Rs70,000, with Lahore-Karachi routes reaching as high as Rs49,000 per seat. 

    Meanwhile, one-way fares from Karachi to Islamabad are commanding prices between Rs55,000 and Rs61,000.

    This development follows a week of disruptions in PIA’s domestic flight schedule, resulting in a surge of intending passengers. A spokesperson for a private airline attributed the disparity in demand and supply to this sudden influx of travellers.

    Simultaneously, PIA’s financial predicament is deepening, with the cancellation of 35 domestic and foreign flights. The interruption in fuel supply has also caused significant delays for both domestic and international flights across the country. Airline administrations have scrambled to create new departure schedules for these affected flights.

    Regarding outstanding dues, the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) revealed that PIA owed Rs3.45 billion for fuel supplied between October 1 and 18, with an additional Rs195 million provided on the mentioned Thursday. 

    The total liabilities for the current month have reached Rs2.11 billion, compounding PIA’s existing debt of Rs26 billion accumulated over the years. A provisional agreement between PSO and PIA for daily fuel supply in exchange for daily payments has been established.

    The current turmoil in PIA’s flight operations is primarily attributable to the suspension of fuel supply by the Pakistan State Oil due to non-payment of dues. 

    According to Samaa, the suspension has impacted Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar, although international flights remain unaffected. PIA’s financial woes have already led to flight cancellations and delays, making the fuel supply suspension a significant setback for the struggling airline.

  • Pakistan’s forex reserves surge by $67 million to reach $7.7 billion

    Pakistan’s forex reserves surge by $67 million to reach $7.7 billion

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported a notable weekly surge in foreign exchange reserves, with an increase of $67 million, reaching $7.7 billion as of October 13, as per the latest data release on Thursday.

    In total, the nation’s readily available foreign reserves amounted to $12.9 billion, with commercial banks holding $5.2 billion in net foreign reserves. The central bank did not provide a specific explanation for this increase.

    During the week concluding on October 13, 2023, the SBP’s reserves climbed by $67 million, reaching a total of $7,714.0 million, according to the SBP’s statement. This follows a previous week’s increase of $31 million.

    Notably, in July of this year, the central bank’s reserves received a significant boost when Pakistan received an initial disbursement of approximately $1.2 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), following the approval of a new $3-billion stand-by arrangement. Additionally, inflows from Saudi Arabia and the UAE contributed to this increase.

    Nevertheless, the central bank’s reserves have faced pressure due to ongoing debt repayments, increased import expenditures following the easing of restrictions, and a lack of fresh inflows.