Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • ‘Black Day’: National Security Committee endorses use of Army, Official Secret Acts against 9 May protesters

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC), with the moot being attended by federal ministers, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the three services chiefs, heads of security institutions and senior officers.


    The meeting endorsed the decision to book violent protesters of May 9, under the constitution and relevant laws, including the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act.


    The PM, while addressing the meeting said, “Those who planned, executed and abetted the vandalism on May 9 certainly committed an act of terrorism.”


    It was also decided in the meeting that May 09 will be celebrated as Black Day. “Whatever happened on May 9 will be remembered as Black Day in the history of Pakistan,” the PM added.


    A Special Corps Commander Conference held on Monday at the General Headquarters (GHQ), presided by Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, decided that the planners, instigators, abettors and perpetrators of the attacks on military installations and buildings during the protests led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters will be tried under relevant Pakistani laws, including the Army Act and Official Secret Act.

  • ‘Is he mentally stable or not’: Ramiz Raja slams Sethi’s proposal for England to be Asia Cup host

    ‘Is he mentally stable or not’: Ramiz Raja slams Sethi’s proposal for England to be Asia Cup host

    Former Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja has slammed current head of the Board, Najam Sethi, on the issue of Asia Cup 2023 hosting country.

    Sethi is trying to solve the Asia Cup hosting issue amicably with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Jay Shah, President of ACC and also Secretary of BCCI, has been accused of being biased and creating hurdles for Pakistan’s hosting rights of Asia Cup.
    “England could be a possibility as a venue for the Asia Cup,” Sethi said in an interview with BBC.

    Ramiz Raja expressed anger on the statement, raising questions about the mental health of the PCB chairman. “The whole purpose of Asia Cup right before the World Cup is to let the teams get used to Asian conditions.

    I was shocked to hear the Chairman PCB saying it would be great to see the Asia Cup being played at Lord’s. Is he mentally stable or not?” Raja questioned.

    Raja also said that it makes him angry when the chairman is saying that Pakistan Super League (PSL 9) will be conducted in UAE because of taxation issues in Pakistan.


    “On one side you are saying Pakistan is safe for cricket regarding Asia Cup and on the other hand you are saying PSL 9 will be conducted in UAE, what type of perspective are you trying to give, are you out of your mind,” Ramiz Raja asked.

    Former cricketer Salman Butt also took a dig on Sethi’s statement of hosting Asia Cup in England:
    “A neutral venue like this [England] is not viable for Asia Cup, it will not make sense as it will mean that there is not a single venue in Asia where it could be held.”
    “You can include England in it and make it Euro-Asia Cup. You can also give this suggestion. In the past, Austral-Asia Cup used to take place in which Australia participated.

    You can also include Ireland and Netherlands in it. It would be a World Cup-like event, as it will have six teams from Asia and four countries from Europe, so it will be a ten-team tournament. It will be a dress rehearsal for World Cup,” the former Pakistan opener said.

    He also added, “You can come up with as many ideas as possible but you also have to see what is practically possible.”

  • In groundbreaking move, National Assembly passes bill granting paid maternity leave

    In a historical move, yesterday the National Assembly passed the ‘Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill’ 2020, which has granted mothers the right to take up to six months paid maternity leave from their workplaces at their first birth, as well as leaves for three to four months during the birth of their second and third child as the bill states:

    “Maternity leave shall in the prescribed manner be granted on full pay outside the leave account to a female employee on her option to the extent of one hundred and eighty days on first birth, one hundred and twenty days on second birth, ninety days on third birth.”

    The bill also granted paternity leave for fathers, allowing men to take one month paid leaves from their work places on the birth of their child:

    “A male employee expecting his wife to give birth to a child shall , at his option, be granted paternity leave on full pay not exceeding thirty days.”

    The bill has been passed in federal territory, which means it will be made a legal priority for Islamabad workplaces to include paid paternity and maternity leave in their policies. But hopefully, this progressive step will soon encourage other cities to take note and follow to make inclusive policies that do not push women out of the workplace after their marriage.

    The bill was presented at the National Assembly by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Quratulain Marri, who praised her colleagues support to prioritise social issues, which helped in making this landmark legislation possible.

    Social media users have celebrated the legislation as a progressive step that will stop women from being forced to chose between motherhood and their jobs, and applauded Senator Marri for helping ensure this will happen.

  • Imran Khan cannot be arrested before May 31: IHC

    Imran Khan cannot be arrested before May 31: IHC

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has extended bail for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan till May 31.

    The decision was made during a hearing of PTI’s plea to provide details of more than 100 cases in which Imran is booked.

    The former Prime Minister was represented by Barrister Gohar in court today. The government’s attorney asked for extra time to disclose details regarding the charges brought against the PTI chief.

    The court, while approving the request of the government’s attorney, postponed the hearing until May 31, passing orders not to arrest Imran Khan until then.

    Earlier IHC, barred authorities from arresting Imran Khan till May 17 in any new case registered against him after May 9.

  • ‘Aik lafz nahin bola’: Shireen Mazari’s daughter disappointed in IK for not speaking up for her mother

    ‘Aik lafz nahin bola’: Shireen Mazari’s daughter disappointed in IK for not speaking up for her mother

    Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, the daughter of Shireen Mazari, appeared on Spot Light at AajTv with Munizae Jahangir on Tuesday, where she expressed her disappointment in PTI chief Imran Khan for not speaking up about the arrest, which she labels as an abduction.

    During the show, the anchor asked Imaan if Imran Khan had shown any support to her upon her mother’s arrest. The human rights activist replied, “I’m very disappointed, even though my mother always stood by Imran Khan, he did not utter a single word at her abduction”.

    During the show Imaan further revealed that instead of releasing her mother from Adiala Jail, the Islamabad police abducted her and took her to another police station.


    She continued by saying that she reached the secretariat police station after she received unverified information about her mother’s location with her lawyer.

    When she reached there, officials asked her to go to and meet G-11 Superintendent, but Imaan said that she entered the police station forcefully screaming her mother’s name and she then saw her mother behind prison shouting that she was being beaten. Imaan said that her mother advised her to leave the police station.

    She told the anchor that officials dragged her out, adding that she is unsure of what really happened.

    Shireen Mazari was arrested by the police in the early hours of the previous Friday. Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday deemed the detention of Shireen under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) as unlawful and ordered her immediate release. However, she was arrested again by police shortly after her release from Adiala Jail. In a tweet, Imaan Mazari said that she does not know about the whereabouts of her mother.

  • Pakistan commits to 4% annual profit on $2 billion deposit from Saudi Arabia

    Pakistan commits to 4% annual profit on $2 billion deposit from Saudi Arabia

    According to reliable sources, Pakistan has agreed to pay an annual profit of four per cent to Saudi Arabia on a deposit of $2 billion with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for a duration of one year.

    This decision was made to fulfill one of the prerequisites set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which demanded that Pakistan secure external funding of approximately $6 billion, according to Brecorder.

    Additionally, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has also confirmed to the IMF that it will deposit $1 billion with the State Bank of Pakistan.

    On May 10, 2023, the Finance Division presented an additional agenda item to the Federal Cabinet, informing them that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through its Ministry of Finance, had agreed to deposit $2 billion with the State Bank of Pakistan for a one-year period. The proposed annual profit rate was set at 4 per cent.

    The draft Deposit Agreement, provided by the Saudi side, was sent to the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Office of the Attorney General for Pakistan for examination and clearance in accordance with the Cabinet’s decision on May 14, 2019.

    Upon approval by the Federal Cabinet, the Finance Division of the Government of Pakistan will authorize the State Bank of Pakistan to proceed with the Deposit Agreement. The Ministry of Law and Justice has given its clearance to the draft

    Agreement, subject to the completion of all necessary formalities, while the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has granted its approval for tax exemption.

  • IT minister denies involvement in internet suspension resulting in billion-rupee losses

    IT minister denies involvement in internet suspension resulting in billion-rupee losses

    Following the internet blackout in Pakistan, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Amin-ul-Haque distanced his ministry from the blockage, stating that they were not taken into confidence.

    According to Geo, Haque revealed that mobile internet services were suspended without the Ministry of IT’s consultation. Since 2017, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has not been under the Ministry of IT, and the PTA has been operating independently.

    The minister explained that blocking social media websites or the internet was not the solution to any issue, and he urged people to be open-minded rather than resorting to using a VPN to access blocked sites.

    Haque suggested that instead of completely blocking the internet, it could be blocked in specific areas. He emphasized that the IT sector suffered losses of billions of rupees due to internet blockages.

    The suspension of mobile broadband and restricted access to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube occurred after violent protests arose in response to the Rangers personnel arresting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court. At least ten people died, and dozens sustained injuries during the days-long protests.

    After almost a seven-day suspension, the government restored access to social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. The suspension was recommended by the interior ministry and is the longest continuous shutdown in a country that often suspends communication as a tool to quell unrest. Telecom operators suffered an approximate revenue loss of Rs820 million, which was a significant blow to the sector as the economy remained in a fragile state.

    Additionally, the government blocked major social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook, while YouTube services were slower to control the spread of disinformation.

  • Pakistan rupee recovers by one paisa against US dollar

    Pakistan rupee recovers by one paisa against US dollar

    According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the Pakistani rupee (PKR) strengthened by Rs0.01 against the US dollar in the interbank market on Tuesday.

    The local currency managed to recover and closed at Rs284.96.

    In contrast, the dollar is being traded at Rs290 in the open market.

    It’s worth noting that the rupee had reached a record low of Rs298.93 against the US dollar last week.

    Market speculation suggests that the rupee’s gains were further supported by reduced demand for foreign currency, resulting from a significant import payment between May 9 and 11, coinciding with the period of heightened political drama in the country.

    Reports indicate that the substantial dollar payment for imports had been arranged by the oil refineries. Oil imports constitute approximately one-fourth of the total import bill for a month.

    Earlier, the rupee experienced a sharp decline of 4.71 per cent or Rs14.09 in just two days (May 10-11), hitting a record low of Rs298.93/$ due to worsening political turmoil and deteriorating law and order following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. However, the rupee managed to recover some of its losses after Khan’s release on May 12, as ordered by the court.

  • Real Sinf-e-Ahan Naila Kiani summits Mount Lhotse in Nepal

    Real Sinf-e-Ahan Naila Kiani summits Mount Lhotse in Nepal

    Pakistani female mountaineer Naila Kiani has summited Mount Lhotse just two days after scaling Mount Everest.

    On Tuesday morning, Kiani became the first Pakistani woman to summit six 8000-meter mountains after she successfully scaled Mount Lhotse in Nepal.

    Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain in the world at 8,516 metres, after Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga.

    Apart from Lhotse, the other five 8000 metre mountains Kiani has summited include Everest, K2, Annapurna, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II.
    Kiani’s expedition organisers in Nepal confirmed that she reached on top of Lhotse at 8:13 am local time today morning.

    According to Karrar Haidri of Alpine Club of Pakistan, Kiani is the first Pakistani woman to climb Lhotse and the country’s fastest woman to ascend six peaks higher than 8,000 metres.

    There have been several Pakistani mountaineers who have successfully summited Mount Lhotse and Mount Everest. Nazir Sabir, the first Pakistani to climb Mount Everest, also summited Mount Lhotse, the fourth highest peak in the world.

    He achieved this feat in 2001. Ashraf Aman has also summited both Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse.

    Samina Baig, the first Pakistani woman to climb Mount Everest, has also successfully summited Mount Lhotse. She accomplished the feat in 2014, becoming the first Pakistani woman to summit both peaks.

    Mirza Ali is a Pakistani mountaineer who has climbed both Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse. He achieved this double summit in 2019, becoming the first Pakistani to accomplish this feat within 24 hours.

    These are some of the Pakistani mountaineers who have conquered both Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse, two of the most challenging and renowned peaks in the world.

    Their achievements reflect the determination and skill of Pakistani climbers in tackling the world’s highest mountains.

  • Punjab police allocates Rs400 million for police force healthcare

    Punjab police allocates Rs400 million for police force healthcare

    Inspector General Police Punjab, Dr Usman Anwar, announced that an estimated amount of Rs300 to 400 million will be allocated towards the healthcare welfare of the police force. This funding will cover all essential medical tests and treatments for conditions such as heart diseases, kidney ailments, and other vital organ disorders.

    Dr Anwar conveyed this message through a video addressed to the police force on Monday, emphasizing the importance of health screening and the provision of medical facilities. He informed that 50 per cent of the constabulary has already undergone health screening, with certain districts achieving 100 per cent completion. The Inspector General commended the District Police Officers (DPOs) responsible for ensuring the health screening of the constabulary in their respective districts.

    During the health screening process, employees were made aware of previously undetected diseases, including hepatitis B and C. Dr Anwar assured that a treatment for Hepatitis C has been discovered, and the department will provide free treatment to all affected employees suffering from the disease.

    Regarding hepatitis B, he mentioned that a permanent cure has not yet been found, but supportive treatment options are available to benefit affected employees. In order to safeguard the remaining police force and their families from this disease, it has been decided to administer vaccinations. The police department will bear all expenses associated with this initiative.

    Dr Anwar highlighted the safety of the vaccine, stating that he will personally receive the vaccination as a testament to its reliability. These measures are being taken to prioritize the health, well-being, and treatment of police personnel. He urged the police force to stand united as an impenetrable barrier against criminals, oppressors, and terrorists. The primary duty of the police force, as stated by the Inspector General, is to protect the lives, properties, and dignity of Pakistani citizens.

    In a separate development, a sum of Rs200,000 has been allocated from the welfare fund of Punjab Police for the medical treatment of the mothers of two martyrs from the Lahore Police, Constable Ghulam Murtaza and Constable Ali Raza. Additionally, a medical grant of Rs100,000 has been approved for ASI Qadeer Akhtar of Multan Police to cover the expenses of his brain surgery.

    Furthermore, the Inspector General has authorized an honorarium for the staff working in training colleges and schools throughout the province. An amount of Rs1.25 crore will be distributed among the staff members in training institutes located in Lahore, Sihala, Multan, Rawalpindi, Farooqabad, and Sargodha.