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Author: News Desk

  • Raja Riaz rejects Dar for caretaker PM, sees no need for immediate elections

    Raja Riaz rejects Dar for caretaker PM, sees no need for immediate elections

    The leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz, said on Tuesday that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar is not a suitable candidate for the position of caretaker PM. He has also said that there is no need for an immediate election in the country.

    The tenure of the National Assembly is going to expire on August 12. Members of the government are holding consultations over the matter of the interim government.

    Speaking on the matter of the caretaker setup, Raja Riaz said that the idea of appointing Ishaq Dar as caretaker PM is not good. “Elections will not be held for two years if Ishaq Dar becomes the interim prime minister,” he said.

    Asking the PML-N to reveal a name in media, Raja Riaz said that there is no need for him to consult on it. “As the opposition leader, I have to give my three names. I will meet the Prime Minister by August 1 on the caretaker government issue,” he added.

    The leader of the opposition has also dismissed the idea of an immediate election in the country. “The problems of the country and the people are more important. The solution to the challenges faced at this time is most important”.

    Raja Riaz was appointed as the leader of the opposition in May 2022 by the speaker of the National Assembly, Raja Pervez Ashraf.

  • Khwaja Asif slammed for calling PTI women legislators ‘garbage’

    Khwaja Asif slammed for calling PTI women legislators ‘garbage’

    Federal Minister for Defence, Khwaja Asif, found himself yet again at the center of a controversy after he passed derogatory comments about female legislators of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    After being criticized by PTI parliamentarians on the “bulldozing” of bills in the assembly, Asif spoke up and reminded the opposition of their government’s tenure when bills were similarly bulldozed through the lower House.

    “Depraved women should not lecture on chastity,” he said, then stated that if he responds, the “woman card” will be used against him.

    Asif then went on to call the women the “remains” and “ruins” of Imran Khan, pointing towards the benches where Senators Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, Sania Nishtar, Falak Naz Chitrali and Fawzia Arshad were sitting.

    “This is the garbage that has to be cleaned,” he remarked.

    His comments were met by fierce protests by PTI female parliamentarians.

    Raja Pervez Ashraf, the Speaker of the National Assembly, then expunged the word “garbage” from the speech.

    Asif, who has in the past been accused of misogynistic comments, most notably against PTI leader Shireen Mazari, has been slammed by commentators and politicians for the speech.

  • Over 50 pilot whales dead in Western Australia beach mass stranding

    Over 50 pilot whales dead in Western Australia beach mass stranding

    In a devastating incident along the coast of Western Australia, over 50 pilot whales have lost their lives, prompting a race against time by authorities to save dozens more of the marine mammals.

    The tragic event, as reported by BBC News, occurred when a pod of pilot whales was spotted approximately 100 meters off Cheynes Beach on Tuesday, appearing tightly clustered, an unusual sight according to witnesses.

    As the pod began to beach themselves, wildlife authorities sprang into action, launching an emergency response effort in a desperate attempt to rescue the stranded whales. Tragically, 51 of the whales succumbed to the ordeal overnight, leaving rescuers with the critical task of attempting to return the surviving 46 to the safety of the sea on Wednesday.

    Dr. Andrew Brownlow, the director of the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, who recently participated in a similar incident on a Scottish beach, offered insights into the potential reasons behind such mass strandings and underscored the urgency faced by the rescuers.

    The situation has drawn the attention of marine conservationists and concerned individuals worldwide, as the clock ticks for the remaining stranded whales, and efforts to save them continue unabated.

  • Imran Khan to be indicted in ECP contempt case in August

    Imran Khan to be indicted in ECP contempt case in August

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed the indictment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan till August 2 in a contempt case filed against him, Geo News has reported.

    The ECP had on Monday ordered that the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) be arrested and presented before the ECP in a case in which he allegedly used “”intemperate” language against the constitutional body and the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

    A four-member bench, headed by Nisar Durrani, heard the case.

    One of the members of the bench said that the commission will frame the charge against the former PM on August 2, and the bench directed that Imran Khan should appear in person at the next hearing.

    Earlier last year, the ECP issued contempt notices in exercise of its powers of contempt, against PTI chief Imran Khan and party leaders for allegedly using “intemperate” language against the chief election commissioner and ECP. The electoral body asked them to appear in person or through their counsel before the commission to explain their position.

    During today’s hearing, Imran Khan’s lawyer, Shaheen Sohail, requested to adjourn the hearing until September.

    “We have only one month of vacation, and since you asked for a personal appearance, we have appeared”, Shaheen said.

    He further added, “Earlier, there were other lawyers on this case; now, I am the lawyer. This is my first appearance.”

  • PKR to USD: Pakistani rupee drops to Rs288.52 against US dollar

    PKR to USD: Pakistani rupee drops to Rs288.52 against US dollar

    The Pakistani rupee continued its downward trend for the eighth consecutive session, experiencing a depreciation of 0.21 per cent against the US dollar on Tuesday. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the rupee closed at Rs288.52, marking a decrease of Re0.6.

    Over the past eight trading sessions, the currency has lost nearly 4.2 per cent or Rs12.02 against the US dollar. On the previous day, Monday, the rupee also suffered losses against the US dollar for the seventh successive session, depreciating 0.39 per cent and settling at 287.92 in the inter-bank market.

    In a significant development, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) approved an increase in the basic electricity tariff by Rs7.5 per unit from July 1, 2023, across the country. The chairman’s remarks indicated that this decision was influenced by the election year, and political choices were being made to alleviate the burden on 68 per cent protected consumers.

    On the international front, the US dollar gained strength ahead of three major central bank meetings scheduled for the week. Meanwhile, the euro faced challenges, hitting a two-week low on Tuesday due to a deteriorating economic situation in the eurozone, which complicated the bloc’s interest rate outlook despite the European Central Bank’s (ECB) hawkish stance.

  • ‘Mere Paas Tum Ho’ set to air in India from August onwards

    ‘Mere Paas Tum Ho’ set to air in India from August onwards

    Pakistani drama ‘Mere Paas Tum Ho’ is set to air on Indian channel ‘Zee Zindagi’. The Humayun Saeed and Ayeza Khan starrer will join the ranks of Pakistani dramas like ‘Qissa Meherbano Ka’, ‘Hum Kahan Kay Sachay Thay’ among others, all of whom have enjoyed popular airtime on the Indian channel ‘Zee Zindagi’.

    On the official Instagram page, the channel had announced:

    “What happens when you feel money CAN buy happiness?  Here’s a glimpse of the much-awaited show!  #MerePaasTumHo, Coming Soon on Indian Television screens!”

    Penned by Khalil-ul-Rehman Qamar, the show revolves around Danish (played by Humayun), a traditional man who lives a simple life in a small flat with his wife and son. However, his wife Mehwish (played by Ayeza Khan) is an ambitious woman who dreams of acquiring wealth. When the couple meets Shehwar (played by Adnan Sdiddiqui) she falls for him and soon after, leaves her family to marry him.

    Siddiqui recently made an appearance on Junaid Akram’s podcast where he spoke about the success of the drama, playfully suggesting that he should have charged more for his role had he known how big a hit the drama would become:

    “If I knew how successful it would be, I wouldn’t have charged the money that I did. I would’ve taken a lot more. For the first time ever, Humayun asked me to play a role that he had in mind, and he was right. It was very big of him to suggest that. He told me that people had already cast me for it since like 6 years ago. Like, they had my name in mind,” Adnan shared.

  • ‘Cringe’: Nadia Jamil does NOT like Barbie at all

    ‘Cringe’: Nadia Jamil does NOT like Barbie at all

    Not your Barbie girl?

    While the rest of the world (completely excluding Punjab) is celebrating the release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, veteran actress Nadia Jamil seems to not share the same opinion. Jamil took to Twitter to share some of the problems she noticed in the film.

    In her Twitter post, the ‘Sitara Aur Mehrunisa’ actress shared that the film mocked a pregnant doll, who was only shown twice.

    “Being pregnant is the most natural thing in the world. Get over it. To encourage little girls to see it as something repulsive is an awful idea,” she wrote.

    She went on to write that the film also discouraged flat feet, calling them ‘beautiful’.

    “I have flat feet. They are beautiful. I dont know why everyone is puking over flat feet. Another unhealthy thing to teach little kids.”

    Nadia also shared the film was not interested in supporting equality because it encourages “bullying and domineering men”

    “The Barbie world is awful/cruel 2 the Ken’s & Barbies are never interested in equality. They are interested in bullying & domineering men,almost in revenge 4 the real world. Another s**** message 2 kids.”

    Read her complete post:

    Some Twitter users did not agree with Nadia’s take. One user wrote:

    “You missed the entire point. It’s a satirical take on beauty standards perpetuated by ‘Stereotypical Barbie,’ which is the Robbie’s character’s name. The OTT manner in which this is conveyed is to highlight the absurdity of these notions. Her entire journey is one of unlearning.”

    Another user pointed out that the film was a satire that was mocking the brand

  • Alarming surge in violence against women in Punjab with Lahore at top

    Alarming surge in violence against women in Punjab with Lahore at top

    A staggering surge has been witnessed in violence against women, with over 10,000 cases reported in the first four months of 2023 alone in Punjab.

    Startling data from the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), a research-based advocacy firm, reveals that 5,551 women were kidnapped during this period, translating to an alarming average of two women abducted every hour.

    SSDO, through a ‘Right to Information’ request to the Punjab Police under Article 19-A of the Constitution, collected the data, reflecting an urgent need for policymakers and stakeholders to address the issue and devise targeted measures to combat this growing crisis.

    The report revealed that between January 1, 2023, and April 30, 2023, Punjab police registered a total of 10,365 cases of violence against women, alongside 1,768 cases of violence against children. However, the actual numbers may be considerably higher as many incidents go unreported due to social stigma and a lack of trust in law enforcement.

    Lahore took the lead with 1,427 reported cases of violence, with one out of every four victims being kidnapped from the provincial capital. Other concerning statistics include 2,818 cases of physical assault, with Lahore as the primary hotspot (504), followed by Sheikhupura (262) and Faisalabad (225).

    Additionally, 1,111 cases of rape and 613 cases of human trafficking were documented, with Lahore again topping the list with 139 rape cases and 210 trafficking cases. Faisalabad reported a significant number of rape cases at 117.

  • Cabinet Committee grants approval for UAE to build cargo terminal at Karachi Port

    Cabinet Committee grants approval for UAE to build cargo terminal at Karachi Port

    The Cabinet Committee on Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions has granted approval for the proposed collaboration between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aimed at establishing a bulk and general cargo terminal at East Wharf, Karachi Port.

    Before the agreement is finalised, it will undergo ratification by the federal cabinet, following which the governments of Pakistan and UAE will officially sign it. The draft agreement, which has been endorsed by the cabinet committee, encompasses various essential aspects.

    These include the terms and conditions of the agreement, the cost estimation for the terminal’s reconstruction, the terminal’s expected lifespan, its maximum cargo handling capacity, the dimensions of the quality wall, royalty details, land rent per square meter in the bonded areas, storage charges, dock labour charges, upfront payment arrangements (adjustable and non-adjustable), as well as the quantum and type of investment involved.

    The Cabinet Committee on Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions meeting, where the draft agreement received approval, was chaired by Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Monday.

    The committee’s decision was based on a summary presented by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, which outlined the proposed government-to-government agreement between UAE and Pakistan for fostering cooperation in the development of the bulk and general cargo terminal at Karachi Port’s East Wharf. The agreement operates under the framework of the Inter-Governmental Commercial Transaction Act 2022, as indicated by the Ministry of Finance.

  • Court accepts petition declaring Imran Khan’s sisters and PTI leaders absconders

    Court accepts petition declaring Imran Khan’s sisters and PTI leaders absconders

    An anti-terrorism court in Lahore has accepted a petition filed by the police to declare Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s sisters and other PTI leaders ‘absconders’ for not cooperating with the ongoing investigation related to the May 9 riots cases.

    Police told the court that PTI leaders are not cooperating with the investigation and are currently in hiding. According to the police, those PTI leaders are involved in the May 9 riots.

    The police, therefore, pleaded with the court to declare the aforementioned individuals “absconders”.

    The court has initiated the process with Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan, Aslam Iqbal, Hammad Azhar, Farrukh Habib, Murad Saeed, Zubair Niazi, Hassaan Niazi, Ali Amin Gandapur, Azam Swati, Andleeb Abbas and others named in the plea.

    On the other hand, the court has also extended the judicial remand of PTI’s senior leaders, including Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhary, and former Punjab governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema.

    The court has also directed the police to submit challans against them at the next hearing.