Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • Saudi Arabia to invest $25 billion in Pakistan over five years: PM Kakar

    Saudi Arabia to invest $25 billion in Pakistan over five years: PM Kakar

    On Monday, Interim Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) intends to invest a substantial sum of up to $25 billion in Pakistan over the next two to five years.

    During a media briefing, PM Kakar explained that Saudi Arabia’s investment focus will primarily encompass the mining, agriculture, and information technology sectors. This initiative aims to boost foreign direct investment in Pakistan, which is currently facing financial challenges. 

    If this investment materialises, it will mark the largest-ever commitment by Saudi Arabia to Pakistan. The country is grappling with a pressing need for funds to address its trade deficit and repay international loans in the ongoing fiscal year. 

    While specific projects earmarked for Saudi investment were not disclosed during the meeting, Barrick Gold Corp. expressed interest last month in partnering with Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund for the Reko Diq mine in Pakistan. 

    Kakar emphasised that Pakistan holds substantial untapped mineral resources valued conservatively at $6 trillion. Additionally, the government intends to expedite two privatisation transactions, likely involving state-owned power sector entities, within the next six months. There is also a plan to privatise another government-owned company, preferably outside the energy sector. 

    Read more: Business community finds hope as COAS Munir vows to tackle corruption and boost investment  

    It’s worth noting that privatisation efforts in Pakistan have faced challenges in the past, as the sale of state assets is a politically sensitive issue that previous elected governments have largely avoided. 

    Currently, Pakistan is navigating a challenging path to economic recovery under a caretaker administration, following the approval of a $3 billion loan plan by the International Monetary Fund in July, which prevented a sovereign debt default. Islamabad is confronted with a balance of payments crisis and requires substantial funds to rectify its trade deficit and settle outstanding debts. 

  • Sindh’s caretaker Interior Minister has unique solution for mobile snatching

    Sindh’s caretaker Interior Minister has unique solution for mobile snatching

    With an increase in street crimes, the caretaker Interior Minister Sindh, Brigadier (R) Haris Nawaz, has suggestions for locals as to how they should protect their valuables.

    Thefts and robberies are a major problem for the people of Karachi. The most common of the street crimes is mobile snatching.

    While talking to the media, Haris Nawaz said that people should keep the mobile phone in a place where it cannot be stolen, or keep the mobile phone in an inner pocket.

    He stated that citizens should look out for themselves by staying safe as well as help the government and the police.

    His statement led to social media asking what would the government do, if citizens are supposed to do its job.

    People react

    https://twitter.com/HishamKhan1998/status/1698970013867049247?s=20
  • Shehbaz, Dar should return to Pakistan immediately, says Khawaja Asif

    Shehbaz, Dar should return to Pakistan immediately, says Khawaja Asif

    Khawaja Asif, senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), has said that despite the fact that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s return is not possible until October, party president Shehbaz Sharif and senior leader Ishaq Dar should come back to Pakistan immediately as the public is angry about the economic crisis and inflation in the country.

    “There is no doubt there are countless [causes of unrest] for the people, and there is only one solution to this. We must constantly… constantly stay in touch with the people, so they can see us,” Asif stressed, adding that keeping distance from the public is not a solution.

    The former defence minister said this while talking on Geo News’ programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’.

    Khawja Asif said that Shehbaz Sharif and the former finance minister should come back and tackle the criticism the party has been facing.

    He also mentioned that the PML-N Vice President is constantly in touch with the public.

    “All of us MNAs are sitting in our constituencies,” he added.

    The former defence minister stated that the PML-N was part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), so one party could not be held responsible for the economic crisis in the country.

  • ‘People should rise in love’: social media users defend viral Sajal Aly quote about relationships

    ‘People should rise in love’: social media users defend viral Sajal Aly quote about relationships

    Actress Sajal Aly is once again going viral on the internet but for a very absurd reason. A user on X (formerly Twitter) shared a clip of the actress speaking at a red carpet interview.

    When asked about her opinion on relationships, the ‘Ye Dil Mera’ actress said:

    “People will start rising in love instead of falling in love,” responded Sajal. “You know what I mean? You know we say ‘fall in love’, why do you fall in love man? Just rise in love!”

    https://twitter.com/zeynepshah/status/1698328201326686435?s=20

    The user who shared the tweet mocked the actress but other tweeps defended the actress by pointing out ‘rising in love’ is a healthier alternative approach to relationships, where one is encouraged to gain a fresh insight to life after meeting someone new, even by sharing how previously writers and films defending this concept.

    A user shared a quote from Toni Morrison’s book ‘Jazz’ which talked about the same concept of rising in love.

    “Nobody gave you to me. Nobody said that’s the one for you. I picked you out. Wrong time, yep, and doing wrong by my wife. But the picking out, the choosing. Don’t ever think I fell for you, or fell over you. I didn’t fall in love, I rose in it. I saw you and made up my mind. My mind. And I made up my mind to follow you too.”

    Another user shared a quote from the 1999 Bollywood movie ‘Taal’ where a dialogue was: “Pyar Mein Giro Mat Bachche … utho, Rise in Love.”

    Another shared the proclaimed Urdu poet Ahmad Faraz had defended the same concept in an article and spoke about the need to rise in love rather than fall in it.

    Another user shared a clip by screenwriter and producer Jemima Khan, who had also worked with Sajal for ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ and had spoken in an interview about encouraging more women to walk into love rather than fall in it.

    Other users defended the actress’s healthy approach to love by pointing out that it should make people better, not encourage them to submit themselves entirely to another person.

    Exactly our point. Please go touch grass or read a book before coming after female celebrities this way.

    https://twitter.com/mytimemotsjjk/status/1698677064805888141?s=20

    Some also slammed the user for indirectly mocking the actress’s English skills, and criticised trolls today for relentlessly targetting female actresses for small reasons.

  • Pakistan women Cricket team whitewashes South Africa in T20 series

    Pakistan women Cricket team whitewashes South Africa in T20 series

    The Pakistan women’s Cricket team scored a historic win against South Africa in their third T20I match on Monday, becoming the first Asian national team to win against South Africa at home.


    Skippers Nida Dar, Saadia Iqbal, and Nashra Sandhu were on the pitch to help steer Pakistan to a thrilling victory in Karachi.


    South Africa’s Captain Suné Luus chose to bat first in the previous two matches. This is the first time in the series that Pakistan got to bat first, getting off to a solid start in powerplay while scoring 41 runs from Shawar Zulfikar and Sidra Amin.


    Even after Nonkululeko Mlaba ousted Shawaal to break that partnership, Pakistan’s scoreboard did not falter for long.


    A 49-run partnership between Sidra and Bismah Maroof and a 49-run partnership between Bismah and Nida Dar kept Pakistan at 150.


    Considering the hosts have scored 151 runs twice in the series, defending the same point seemed like a daunting task. Laura scored 72 runs, allowing the South African team to stick to the game to the end.


    However, the South African captain’s efforts were not matched by other batsmen, with Nadine de Klerk’s 20 being the second-highest score.
    Left-arm spin duo Sandhu and Iqbal have enjoyed great success throughout the series, once again proving to be a huge challenge for the South African batsmen.


    Nashra and Saadia picked up two wickets each, ensuring 151 remained insurmountable for the visitors.

  • Business community finds hope as COAS Munir vows to tackle corruption and boost investment 

    Business community finds hope as COAS Munir vows to tackle corruption and boost investment 

     
    In response to the pressing economic crisis facing the country, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir has pledged unwavering efforts to attract foreign investment and rejuvenate the economy, as reported by The News on Tuesday. General Munir made these assurances during a recent extensive meeting with members of the business community, where he engaged openly and candidly with them. 

    During an appearance on Geo News‘ “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath” programme on Monday, President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, expressed optimism following their meeting with the army chief. He revealed that General Munir had conveyed discussions of a potential $25 billion investment from Saudi Arabia, encompassing sectors such as IT, minerals, agriculture, and defence. 

    Highlighting a pivotal development, General Munir disclosed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman had committed to depositing $10 billion of this investment in the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), to be reimbursed in Pakistani rupees or goods, thereby bolstering foreign exchange reserves. 

    General Munir also acknowledged the bureaucratic obstacles hindering investment and emphasised the establishment of a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to streamline processes and eliminate bureaucratic impediments. He assured that this initiative would protect investors from interference, bureaucratic hurdles, or legal complications. 

    Irfan Iqbal Sheikh further mentioned that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had both pledged $25 billion in investments, with Qatar and Kuwait following suit with similar commitments. 

    General Munir expressed determination to combat corruption, particularly by curbing land-grabbing and extortion mafias. To this end, he announced the formation of four task forces to address issues related to the Federal Board of Revenue of Pakistan (FBR), border control, smuggling, and social media, aiming to improve the overall situation. 

    Sheikh stressed that the business community had grown disillusioned but found renewed courage and hope through the army chief’s commitments. 

    Meanwhile, Business Group Chairman Zubair Motiwala noted the distinct approach of General Munir in engaging with traders compared to his predecessors. He highlighted the COAS’s efforts to revive the economy through engagements in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and upcoming visits to Qatar and Kuwait. 

    Motiwala reported that General Munir had instructed the corps commander to prevent the influx of Iranian diesel into Karachi and issued directives to address land encroachments, corruption, and law enforcement issues. 

    General Munir also emphasised that only registered Afghan refugees would be allowed to stay in Pakistan, while the rest would need to return to their home country. He conveyed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s concerns regarding corruption and bureaucracy in Pakistan. 

    Motiwala further disclosed discussions about the charter of the economy with General Munir, expressing hope that such substantial investments would significantly improve the economic conditions in the country. 

    He also pointed out that state-owned enterprises were incurring significant losses, amounting to Rs1,300 billion, and stressed the need for action, noting that political governments might not fully embrace privatisation but would seek to relieve this burden. General Munir expressed his understanding of the government’s approach to this issue and its commitment to addressing it comprehensively. 

  • Bushra Bibi files petition to avoid possible arrest

    Bushra Bibi files petition to avoid possible arrest

    Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, has moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) to stop authorities from arresting her, asking for details of all the cases including undisclosed first information reports (FIRs) registered against her.

    The petition, filed through Advocate Mushtaq Ahmad Mohal on Monday, states that after the illegal removal of the petitioner’s husband from the office of the prime minister, political victimization of the petitioner, her husband and other family members has been initiated by federal and provincial governments as well as law enforcement agencies, all of whom are respondents in the petition.

    Bushra Bibi has pleaded that FIRs against her have been kept secret by the respondents to bar her from seeking pre-arrest bail. The respondents include the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab, and police.

    “That act of the respondents regarding lodging false, frivolous, baseless and concocted FIRs against the petitioner and to conceal the FIRs numbers, police stations, districts, dates and provinces clearly indicates that the respondents intend to arrest the petitioner without providing an opportunity to get the relief from competent courts of law in the shape of anticipatory bails and pre-arrest bails and to get the FIRs secret against the petitioner at the behest of the respondents is not warranted by law, so law and justice demand that the respondents be directed to submit list of all criminal cases registered against the petitioner throughout in Pakistan, so that the petitioner may approach the competent courts of law, for redress of her grievances,” the petition read.

    It further requested for an order against arresting Bushra Bibi in any case till the provision of the details of case. The hearing of the petition is fixed before the court of Justice Alia Neelum.

    READ MORE: PDM is not ready to talk with Imran

  • ‘Woman spoke to me for a long time because she thought I was Hamza Ali Abbasi’s wife’: Nawal Saeed

    Ever thought that how embarrassing it is to be chatting with someone and then discovering that they mistook you for someone else? Actress Nawal Saeed had the same experience when elaborating at the Geo show ‘Hasna Mana Hai’ about the time, a stranger praised her and then realised she was not Hamza Ali Abbasi’s wife, Naimal Khawar.

    The actress recalled meeting a sweet old woman who kept compliment her work “And after 5 minutes, she went like, ‘I had really wished to meet Hamza’s [Ali Abbasi] wife’,” she joked.

    The ‘Banno’ actress had then revealed she kindly corrected the elderly fan that she was Nawal, not Naimal, but the fan was disappointed that her time was wasted.

  • Islamabad High Court orders Parvez Elahi’s release

    Islamabad High Court orders Parvez Elahi’s release

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Sept 5 suspended the detention of PTI President and former chief minister Punjab, Parvez Elahi, under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), ordering his release.

    On Friday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had ordered that the former Punjab chief minister be released.

    However, hours after he was released from Adiala Jail, Islamabad Police arrested Chaudhry Parvez Elahi from Canal Road in Lahore, leaving with him for the federal capital. Earlier that day, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to release Parvez Elahi, along with a restraining order against his possible arrest by any agency or preventive detention, after the accountability watchdog’s decision to arrest the former chief minister of Punjab was challenged in court through a petition.

    The visuals of his arrest went viral on social media.

    According to the capital police, Elahi was taken into custody on orders of the district magistrate under Section 3 of the MPO.

    Section 3 of MPO empowers the government to arrest and detain suspected persons. It states: “The government, if satisfied that with a view to preventing any person from acting in any manner prejudicial to public safety or the maintenance of public order, it is necessary to do, may, by an order in writing, direct the arrest and detention in such custody […] and [the] government, if satisfied that for the aforesaid reasons, it is necessary so to do, may extend from time to time the period of such detention, for a period not exceeding six months at a time.”

    After being moved to Attock jail, Parvez Elahi had approached the IHC against his detention, urging the court to declare it as “patently illegal, unlawful and without lawful authority”.

    In the petition, Elahi had requested the IHC to set aside the detention order and issue directives for his release. Interior secretary, district magistrate, the Islamabad police chief and the Adiala Jail’s superintendent were made respondents in the case.

    On Tuesday, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri took up Elahi’s plea. The court suspended the PTI leader’s detention order and also ordered his release. The court also issued a notice to the duty magistrate who ordered Elahi’s detention.

    Further, the court also summoned Elahi at the next hearing and ordered him to not issue any kind of statement until the next hearing. The hearing was subsequently adjourned till Tuesday (September 12).

  • Shagufta Ejaz gets Botox injections and she’s not afraid to own it

    Shagufta Ejaz gets Botox injections and she’s not afraid to own it

    Veteran actress Shagufta Ejaz wants more women- especially those who aren’t young- to break down the misconceptions and stigma surrounding cosmetic surgery.

    The actress recently uploaded a vlog where she opened up about getting Botox surgery and provided a breakdown of what the procedure entails. The actor said her intention was to reduce the wrinkles on her forehead and eyes, adding that this was the fourth time she was getting Botox.

    “So, I didn’t want a frozen expression. I wanted to frown and lift my eyebrows and go sad and all. So, this is why I told [the doctor] that I wanted a 40% erase, and 60% expressions.”

    The actress showed her fans how the procedure progressed, showcasing the bruises around her eyes and the wrinkles on her forehead fading.

    Shagufta also talked in her vlog about the stigma surrounding Botox.

    “I believe that one should be honest about whatever you do,” pointed out the ‘Mere Damad’ actress. “A lot of people are getting it done; some want to disclose it, some do not. This is their personal choice and I thought this is the fourth time in my entire life that I’m getting this done and this time I wanted that I should share with you.”

    We’re incredibly happy that more actresses are encouraging women to stop listening to the stereotypical remarks that as women age, they must stop focusing on their looks and be sent out to pasture. Previously, Shahista Lodhi slammed age-shaming remarks while speaking about being mistaken as her son’s girlfriend. Lodhi reflected on how in Pakistan, women here are shamed if they invest too much attention on their looks as they grow older:

    “If you’ve had kids at a young age then is that also my fault? Apparently, that becomes a taunt too here…Why should I lie about it? It feels good that I have maintained myself even at this age.”

    On ‘The Talk Talk Show’, the aesthetic physician recalled counselling a woman who was kicked out of her house because of stretch marks, stressing that its not worth saving an abusive marriage if it depends on you getting surgery.

    Read more: ‘A patient revealed she was kicked out of her house by her husband because of her stretch marks’: Shahista Lodhi