Rajesh Vishwas, a member of the Indian government, was suspended after he gave an order to empty a water reservoir in order to retrieve his phone, BBC reported on Saturday.
The food inspector was taking a photo when his phone, which was valued at roughly $1,200, fell into the Kherkatta Dam in Chhattisgarh. Millions of gallons of water had to be pumped out of the dam. The process of draining the dam took three days.
Vishwas has said in a video statement that after local divers failed to find it, he paid for a diesel pump to be brought in.
The process was halted after an official from the water resource department arrived following a complaint.
“He has been suspended until an inquiry. Water is an essential resource and it cannot be wasted like this,” Kanker district official Priyanka Shukla told an Indian newspaper.
However, Vishwas insisted that he had not abused his authority and that the water had been drained because it was “
Pakistan’s aerated beverage industry is grappling with a significant decline in volume, estimated at 35% to 40%, following the introduction of a 7% Federal Excise Duty (FED) in the February 2023 mini-budget. This latest tax increase has pushed the total FED on the industry to an unsustainable 20%, marking a staggering 50% surge from the previous rate of 13%. The repercussions are reverberating throughout the manufacturing chain, with an expected loss of thousands of jobs. If these regulatory challenges persist, businesses may be compelled to consider shutting down their operations, resulting in a further blow to government revenues, estimated at an annual loss of PKR 6-8 billion in FED collection.
The beverage industry in Pakistan is already burdened with one of the highest tax rates globally, with a 20% FED that surpasses the average levy imposed on the food and beverage sector. Despite these challenges, the aerated beverage industry has stepped up as a key investor, contributing an estimated $200 million to bolster the country’s foreign exchange reserves during a time of Forex shortage. However, the recent tax measures have hindered the government’s revenue collections from this industry, leaving a negative impact.
According to the Half-Year Report for 2022-2023 published by the State Bank Board of Directors, several sectors, including the beverage industry, have experienced negative growth. From the first half of the fiscal year 2022 to the same period in 2023, the beverage industry alone has contracted from 5% to a significant negative growth rate of -8.3%.
The adverse economic consequences resulting from these measures have garnered attention from trade bodies such as the Pakistan Business Council, American Business Council, and various Chambers of Commerce. These associations recently presented their recommendations to Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Chairman and Convener of the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue. In a consultative session held on May 23, 2023, Coca-Cola, representing the industry, voiced concerns regarding the discriminatory nature of the tax applied in February 2023. The tax does not consider per-capita sugar consumption, resulting in an unfair burden on the beverage industry, which only accounts for approximately 6% of the country’s sugar consumption.
The beverage sector, which operates transparently and in compliance with regulations, now urges the government to reassess its taxation policy. Specifically, the industry is calling for the immediate withdrawal of the 7% tax introduced in the mini-budget, as it was initially presented as a temporary, stop-gap measure. The industry maintains that a fair and broad-based tax regime would not only alleviate the burden on the beverage industry but also contribute to Pakistan’s economic stability and foster growth.
The appeals made by Coca-Cola and other beverage manufacturers underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive review of the taxation policy affecting the industry. Striking a balance between tax obligations and recognizing the substantial investments made by these companies is vital to creating a conducive business environment and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Pakistan’s beverage sector.
A father has allegedly killed his daughter in the name of honour by setting her on fire in Jhang, Punjab. As per the details, the father took help of his other children to kill Masooma Bibi.
The girl was shifted to hospital in critical condition, where she breathed her last after giving a statement.
The deceased accused her siblings and father of orchestrating the heinous act.
Police have registered the case and have arrested six suspects, including the father.
India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has moved Delhi High Court, seeking the death penalty for Jammu Kashmir Liberation (JKL) Front chief Chief Yasin Malik.
The hearing is due on Monday.
Following the news, Yasin’s wife Mushaal, said in a tweet, “Modi wants to hang my husband but I’m afraid Modi’s actually hanging his entire political career down the drain. Don’t think this Will ever silence us”.
#Project_election_2024_RSS_BJP Modi regime’s #NIA move in Delhi High Court seeking a death sentence against my jailed husband ,Kashmiri Hurriyat leader JKLF Chief Mohammad Yasin Malik , who was earlier sentenced to life imprisonment in a concocted case on 25th May 2022. Loosing… pic.twitter.com/ifMZHLbjRA
— Mushaal Hussein Mullick (@MushaalMullick) May 26, 2023
Yasin was arrested in 2018, months before New Delhi cancelled the held state’s special status of Kashmir on August 5, 2019.
Last year, Malik pleaded guilty for funding the separatist movement. He was then sentenced to life imprisonment and is currently serving time in jail.
In an explosive speech, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz attacked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, calling him the mastermind of the May 9 riots.
While addressing a public gathering in Vehari, Maryam condemned the May 9 incident, saying, “My heart cries tears of blood over the events that happened on May 9. I dedicate this rally to martyrs and their parents, children and widows.”
She alleged that the “terrorist plan” was hatched in Zaman Park, Imran Khan’s Lahore residence where he has been living for the past several months. “The May 9 attacks were pre-planned,” she alleged.
“Why didn’t the groups of people attack the shopping centre in front of the Corps Commander’s House?” she questioned, accusing “mastermind” Khan of instructing the protesters about which places to attack.
Talking about the recent string of PTI leaders leaving the party, she told Imran Khan that the “game is over”.
In a significant development, the Supreme Court issued an order on Friday, suspending the operation of the federal government’s notification regarding the constitution of a judicial panel to investigate audio leaks which included alleged calls made to judges or by their families, that have emerged on social media over the past few months.
The top court also prohibited the commission from conducting further proceedings.
Last week, the federal government formed the judicial commission to probe leaked audio clips allegedly involving some current and former members of the superior judiciary and their family members to determine their “veracity” and “impact on the independence of the judiciary”.
The government said the audio leaks raised serious apprehensions about the independence of the judiciary in the public interest.
Shehbaz Speed was a term popularly used for projects completed in a short duration when Sharif was the Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab.
While giving a speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of K-IV project, Bilawal addressed PM Shehbaz, stating, “We are looking at you, you should form your own team to solve these problems being faced by Sindh including Karachi.”
He added that the prime minister has the support of the two major parties of Sindh and all partners of the coalition government want to solve the problems of the country together. “When we all continue to work together, all of Pakistan’s problems can be solved,” he said.
Talking about Karachi, he said that if the government pays attention to the metropolis according to its potential, then not only the IMF could bid farewell, but the whole nation could also stand on its own feet.
About the May 9 episode, he warned that if serious crimes like setting fire to Jinnah House Lahore, demolishing martyrs’ memorials and attacking military installations are neglected, then running this country will become not only difficult but impossible. He also asked that if the conspiracy of May 9 events had been hatched either in Bilawal House, Raiwand or Nine Zero, what would have been the reaction to it.
Bilawal said that when the police went to comply with the court notice in March this year, Zaman Park had been turned into a battleground. He added that even during PTI’s long march, participants had arms, but the government did not take action, adding that the Prime Minister could have banned PTI on the basis of foreign funding case and Al-Qadir Trust case if he wanted. “But we didn’t want the impression of political vendetta and setting a bad precedent,” he said.
More leaders continue to leave the embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as Friday’s toll reaches four members.
After former federal minister Firdous Ashiq Awan and former provincial minister Murad Raas announced that they’re leaving PTI in the afternoon, Abrar ul Haq and Saifullah Niazi also held press conferences to say that they have quit the party.
He don’t need fame and name anymore.. He’s already famous worldwide. Never fail to impress his fans NEVER. Today this emotional press conference had left us teary… SAD @AbrarUlHaqPK#abrarulhaqpic.twitter.com/o7S1trzTRY
Saifullah Niazi, a relative and close confidant of Imran Khan’s, said in the presser that he wants to focus on his life, his family and his health. “The last one year has been very stressful,” he said, condemning the May 9 attacks. He left immediately afterwards, without replying to questions.
In his presser, Abrar ul Haq said that he’s quitting politics altogether. He then sang a poem he had written, bursting into tears at the end of the recital.
According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the Pakistani currency has maintained its upward trend against the US dollar for the fourth consecutive working day in the interbank market.
The local unit (PKR) has recovered Rs0.59 against the USD, closing at Rs285.15, while the US dollar closed at Rs285.74 on the previous day.
In contrast, the open market has seen the dollar being sold at over Rs300. Last week, the rupee reached a record low of Rs298.93 against the US dollar.
Experts attribute the fluctuation in the dollar rate to the deadlock over the IMF deal and ongoing political unrest in the country.
Due to the delay in the revival of the $6.5 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme, Pakistan is now seeking additional funding from friendly nations.
The staff-level agreement between the International Monetary Fund and Pakistan, initially scheduled for February 9, has been postponed.
As the political crisis in the country continues, social media has been set ablaze with feuds between users and public figures. One such recent altercation took place between Iffat Omar and Sara Taseer.
Taseer, who has been a staunch supporter of Imran Khan, had tweeted in favor of the former cricket player by asking him to pack his bags and escape the country to avoid her late father Salmaan Taseer’s fate.
My humble advice to @ImranKhanPTI Please pack your bags and leave #Pakistan . A dead man is good to no one (re @SalmaanTaseer) Nobody can save Pakistan economically right now. Let the lightening fall on their head, let them drown in their droppings and then come back with…
“Someone get this C grade “has been” model @OmarIffat off my case. May the excessive lip filler causing her mouth to look like a giant balloon help her to float off into the sunset, far away from civilised society where she doesn’t belong.”
Someone get this C grade “has been” model @OmarIffat off my case. May the excessive lip filler causing her mouth to look like a giant balloon help her to float off into the sunset, far away from civilised society where she doesn’t belong. https://t.co/aVkAa9NE5E
“Was not taking to u ugly woman just asked your mad leader to listen to pathetic woman like u so chill and lay of, criticizing my lips you have some nerves woman. I mean just look at u.”
was not taking to u ugly woman just asked your mad leader to listen to pathetic woman like u😂😂😂so chill and lay of, criticizing my lips you have some nerves woman🤣🤣I mean just look at u. https://t.co/BT7dp4tIgO
Proof that it runs in the party, when you don't have anything concrete to say, you target facial features. Know that it's the Almighty who created us. We might not have picture perfect faces, but He blessed us all with with 🧠; use it. https://t.co/yy7p0DcxZf
