Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • 98 percent of Pakistanis unhappy with country’s direction, survey

    98 percent of Pakistanis unhappy with country’s direction, survey

    Along with the country’s economy, restoring the declining confidence of Pakistani consumers is a big challenge for the caretaker government.

    Apsus Pakistan released the third quarter survey report of Consumer Confidence Index.

    According to the survey report, 98 per cent of Pakistanis are not happy with the country’s direction, while the number of Pakistanis who consider the direction to be correct has come down to merely 2 per cent.

    According to the report, Pakistanis are disappointed with the country’s economy and their own financial situation, 76 per cent of Pakistanis say the country’s economy is weak and 68 per cent say their financial situation is precarious.

    The survey also revealed that 66 per cent of Pakistanis are not optimistic about improvement in the country’s economic conditions, even in the next six months, while 60 per cent see their financial conditions becoming weaker in the future.

  • Karachi wholesale grocers announce market shutdown in protest against alleged illegal raids, fines

    Karachi wholesale grocers announce market shutdown in protest against alleged illegal raids, fines

    Wholesalers in Karachi are set to stage a market shutdown on Monday in protest of what they consider unlawful raids and penalties imposed by the district administration in an effort to combat hoarding.

    According to ARY News, Rauf Ibrahim, the Chairman of the Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA), held a press conference today, expressing concern that the district administration’s actions have created fear among traders due to shop and go-down closures. 

    He cautioned that they would cease operations at wholesale markets on Monday unless the district administration unseals these establishments. He said if these unjust raids and fines persist, we will suspend commodity markets on Monday.

    Ibrahim alleged that the district administration is sealing shops and go-downs under the pretext of cracking down on hoarding. He cited an instance where a shop owner in Joria Bazar was fined Rs30,000 for storing just two sacks of sugar.

    He criticised the categorisation of wholesalers with 100 to 500 sacks of sugar as hoarders and stressed that traders are willing to cooperate with authorities during hoarding crackdowns.

    Ibrahim urged the administration to take decisive action against genuine hoarders.

    To combat hoarding, federal and provincial governments have initiated operations in various cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta, and Dera Ismail Khan, resulting in the confiscation of illegally stockpiled sugar.

    Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) assured that there is an ample supply of sugar available at controlled prices nationwide.

  • Zaman Khan wins hearts of cricket fans despite Pakistan’s loss

    Zaman Khan wins hearts of cricket fans despite Pakistan’s loss

    Defending champions Sri Lanka qualified for the finals after defeating Pakistan in the crucial match of the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup.

    The journey of the green shirts in the tournament ended and Pakistan didn’t make it to the final but thanks to fast bowler Zaman Khan, this success remained difficult for the opposing team until the last ball.

    Zaman’s moment came when Sri Lanka needed eight runs from the last six balls and he bowled the last over. Sri Lanka needed two runs from his last ball but as a result of poor fielding SriLankan batsman Aslanka scored easily and took his team to the final by winning the match.

    After the big loss, Pakistan could not hide their depression in the stadium. Zaman Khan became emotional sitting on the pitch, after which Shaheen Afridi and other cricketers hugged and comforted him.

    The national team is being criticized by cricket fans due to poor fielding and batting, but also a picture of Zaman Khan is being viral very quickly on social media to appreciate his performance.

    Check out the comments in favor of Zaman Khan:

  • Deepika Padukone charged an unheard of amount for ‘Jawan’

    Deepika Padukone charged an unheard of amount for ‘Jawan’

    Shah Rukh Khan’s action thriller ‘Jawan’ has received rave reviews from social media users and critics alike. A special appearance by his close friend and long time collaborator Deepika Padukone was singled out for praise as one of the best scenes in the film.

    The ‘Pathaan’ actress shocked social media when she revealed to Indian magazine The Week that she had charged Rs0 for her cameo and gave a special reason why she refused to take any amount for the appearances she made in films like ’83’ and ‘Cirkus’:

    “I wanted to be a part of 83 because I wanted it to be an ode to women who stand behind their husbands’ glory. I watched my mother do it. This was my homage to wives who make sacrifices to support their husbands’ careers. Other than that, any special appearance for Shah Rukh Khan, I am there. Same with Rohit Shetty.”

    The actress, who garnered applause for her stellar performance alongside King Khan for her first film ‘Om Shanti Om’ (for which hadn’t charged a single penny either!) said the duo call themselves each others’ lucky charms.

     “We are each other’s lucky charm. But honestly, we are beyond luck. We have a sense of ownership over each other,” the actress gushed about the Bollywood Badshah.

    “I am one of the few people he is vulnerable with. There is so much trust and respect, and I think that luck is just the cherry on the top.”

  • PUBG addict found after stealing Rs65,000 from home

    PUBG addict found after stealing Rs65,000 from home

    Majid Rehman, a 13-year-old boy addicted to playing the game PUBG, was found on Thursday after he went missing while purchasing groceries.

    His father, Reham Mehmood, reported his son’s disappearance, stating that the boy left home with Rs65,000 rupees for monthly groceries but never returned.

    Police registered a kidnapping case and began to search for him.

    Rehman was found by a National Highways and Motorways Police (NH&MP) team in a vehicle during an inspection.

    Apart from other items, the police found a PUBG character’s costume.

    As Majid was questioned, he revealed that when he left home, he decided to hang out with his friends and spent the grocery money buying things that were of interest to him. He also talked about his liking for PUBG.

    According to DSP Changezi, parents’ neglect towards their children results in such incidents.

    PUBG is a widely played shooter game. However, it has been a part of several unfortunate or absurd incidents in Pakistan as well as around the world.

    PUBG addicts, mainly children, have inflicted self-harm or harmed others. Some tend to run away from home. In extreme cases, players have committed suicide or shot people.

    Boys from Nawan Kot and Kahna killed their family members in 2021 and 2022, respectively, under the the influence of the violent nature of the game. One boy even chased a member into the street while clad in the game’s character attire.

    Similarly, children have committed suicide after losing the game or getting bullied for it.

    Following several cases, the Lahore Police asked the higher authorities to ban the game.

    The Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) created the “Mohafiz” app through which one can search and share information of cases of underprivileged, homeless children who run away from their homes in Punjab.

    Through the app, government institutions can also be reached in case of an emergency and citizens can report any disappearance or accidents involving children.

    According to Express Tribune, hundreds of children are present in various centres of Punjab including the CPWB in Lahore.

  • Supreme Court orders restoration of corruption cases against politicians

    Supreme Court orders restoration of corruption cases against politicians

    The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday struck down recent amendments made to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999, during the tenure of the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government. A three-member SC bench headed by outgoing Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising of Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, conducted 53 hearings on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s petition against the changes made to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act 2022.

    Today’s 2-1 majority verdict has resulted in the restoration of corruption cases against public office holders, which were closed down following the NAB amendments. The ruling specifically reinstated the NAB clause pertaining to the Service of Pakistan.

    In June 2022, former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan approached the top court to challenge the amendments to the NAB laws, contending that they will “virtually eliminate any white-collar crime committed by a public office holder”.

    On September 5, the SC reserved its verdict in the case. “My retirement is near, [we] will give a decision before retirement. We will soon announce a short and sweet verdict of the case,” said CJ Bandial.

    According to today’s SC verdict, the petition by PTI Chairman against NAB amendments was declared admissible by the majority decision, restoring all closed inquiries filed with the anti-corruption body. The top court has ordered restoring all graft cases worth less than Rs500 million that were closed down after the amendments.

    According to The Express Tribune, former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif was a major beneficiary of the amendments. Other beneficiaries include former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, former President Asif Ali Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Maryam Nawaz, Faryal Talpur, Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Rana Sanaullah, Javed Lateef, Makhdoom Khosro Bakhtiar, Amir Mehmood Kayani, Akram Durani , Saleem Mandiwala, Noor Alam Khan, Nawab Aslam Riasani, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, Barjees Tahir, Nawab Ali Wasan, Sharjeel Memon, Anwarul Haq Kakar, Liaqat Jatoi, Amir Maqam, Goram Bugti, Jaffer Mandokhel and G-B Governor Syed Mehdi Shah.

  • Only over our dead bodies: PIA HR chief refutes closure rumours

    Only over our dead bodies: PIA HR chief refutes closure rumours

    The Head of Human Resource (HR) at Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) dismissed media reports about the airline’s poor financial condition and potential closure. He stated, “It will happen only over our dead bodies.” 

    These comments came during a meeting with the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation, Hidayatullah, who had noticed a senior PIA director’s statement about possible closure within 15 days.

    Hidayatullah initiated an investigation and mandated that only the airline’s spokesperson or PR department should communicate with the media.

    A private TV channel had reported concerns about flight operations being suspended by September 15 without emergency funds.

    During the meeting, the HR chief presented an overview of PIA employees, including qualifications, experience, and positions, with a focus on Group IV and above.

    According to Dawn, the committee members stressed their preference for hiring native Pakistanis for overseas roles. The HR chief highlighted the predominance of Pakistani-origin staff in such positions. 

    Performance evaluations for UK-based employees were discussed to ensure fair assessments.

    Furthermore, the HR chief disclosed the dismissal of two employees in Saudi Arabia due to fake degrees, with another under scrutiny. He assured me that all cases were being closely monitored.

  • 127 Pakistanis attended Urs of Mujadid Alf Sani in India

    127 Pakistanis attended Urs of Mujadid Alf Sani in India

    Over a hundred Pakistani pilgrims took part in the annual Urs (death anniversary ) of Sufi saint Hazrat Mujadid Alf Sani at Sirhind Sharif in India, with the total number tallying up to 127.

    Pakistan’s Charge d’ Affaires to India, Aizaz Khan, was also present to commemorate the 410th urs of the 16th-century Islamic scholar who was deemed as a Mujaddid by his followers, meaning a “reviver” since he revised Islam through his writings.

    According to Express Tribune, Aizaz expressed his appreciation to the shrine’s caretaker, Khalifa Syed Mohammed Sadiq Raza, and the local administration for their support in facilitating the pilgrims.

    Pakistani pilgrims reportedly attend the annual Urs of Hazrat Mujadid Alf Sani every year under the framework of the 1974 India-Pakistan protocol on visits to religious shrines.

  • Did we lose the match because of Shehbaz’s tweets? X users say yes

    Did we lose the match because of Shehbaz’s tweets? X users say yes

    Former Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif is a big sports fan and tweets about cricket and tennis quite often. His tweets full of excitement during the Asia Cup about Pakistani cricketers created quite a stir, but not for the right reasons. Twitter (now X) users are blaming Shehbaz for Pakistan’s loss. Here’s why.

    On September 2 when Pakistan played its first match against India in Asia Cup 2023,Shehbaz tweeted that the Indians “CANNOT PLAY’ Shaheen Shah Afridi.

    However, in the next match between Pakistan and India, Shaheen’s performance was so bad that even his father-in-law Shahid Afridi was not happy with his performance.

    “If we ball like Naseem Shah in initial overs, the situation could have been different. Shaheen’s line and length were not good, he gets frustrated if he doesn’t get wickets in early overs because he is known as a wicket taker in the first over,” said Shahid about Shaheen.

    Pakistan lost the match to India by 228 runs.

    Pakistan lost the crucial Super 4 match against Sri Lanka yesterday and thus couldn’t qualify for the Asia Cup final.

    Shehbaz Sharif was quick to buck up the Boys in Green.

    “That was an incredible last over, Zaman. A great game of cricket indeed.”

    X users were quick to point out that after Shehbaz praised Shaheen, he performed badly and now that he has praised Zaman Khan, his career may be over. One user told Shehbaz to “stay away from cricket”.

    Here are some tweets:

  • PIA faces flight cancellations and delays as financial crisis intensifies

    PIA faces flight cancellations and delays as financial crisis intensifies

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), currently grappling with severe financial challenges, has been compelled to cancel multiple domestic and international flights.

    An authoritative representative of the national flag carrier conveyed to Geo News that there’s a looming risk of suspending flight operations by September 15, today, unless urgent financial support is extended.

    This predicament initially materialised on August 12, when numerous domestic flights, both departing from and arriving in Karachi, had to be abruptly canceled. This unfortunate situation was attributed to a combination of financial constraints and the inability to settle outstanding dues owed to Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for fuel supply.

    An examination of today’s schedule at Jinnah International Airport reveals a series of disruptions in PIA’s services. Notably, flights from Karachi to Bahawalpur (PK588 and PK589) and Karachi to Lahore (PK302 and PK303) have been canceled.

    Furthermore, the Karachi to Islamabad flight (PK368) faces a three-hour delay, while the Karachi to Lahore flight (PK304) encounters an extensive delay of eight and a half hours.

    Additional disruptions include the cancellation of PIA flights between Karachi and Rahim Yar Khan (PK582 and PK583), along with delays for Karachi to Multan (PK330) and Dubai (PK213), both postponed by two hours.

    Moreover, the Islamabad to Karachi flight (PK301) has been cancelled; Islamabad to Riyadh (PK753) is running three hours behind schedule; and Lahore to Karachi (PK305) faces a delay of two and a half hours.

    PIA’s financial struggles have been escalating, with the airline revealing on September 7 that it had grounded five of its 13 leased aircraft, potentially grounding an additional four due to the ongoing financial strain. 

    A plea for an urgent bailout of Rs22.9 billion was met with rejection by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC). The ECC also declined the request to defer payments, including Rs1.3 billion per month to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for Federal Excise Duty (FED) and Rs0.7 billion per month to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for embarking charges.

    Adding to the airline’s woes, PIA cautioned of possible suspensions in the supply of spare parts by Boeing and Airbus come mid-September. In the previous month, the Federal Board of Revenue of Pakistan (FBR) took the drastic step of freezing 13 PIA bank accounts due to non-payment of Rs8 billion in FED.