Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • ‘Army Chief apna dushman samajhte hain, abb koyi baat karne ko tayyar nahin’: Khan’s shikwa with establishment

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has offered the establishment that he is willing to talk to them and clearly stated that he doesn’t have any enmity against the institution.

    Talking to journalists in Lahore on Friday, Khan claimed: “Aisy lagta hai Army Chief mujhe apna dushman samajhte hain, abb koyi baat karne ko tayyar nahin toh mei kya karon” (It seems like the Army Chief considers me his enemy, what should I do if no one is ready to talk with me).

    “COAS should himself find a corruption case against me”, he said, challenging the incumbent government to prove corruption charges against him and his wife Bushra bibi.

    The PTI supremo was of the view that Pakistan’s establishment “does not understand politics.”

    ‘Bajwa ne meri qamar mei chaaqu mara’: Imran Khan still naraz with ex-army chief

    Continuing his grievances with the former head of the army, the former prime minister alleged, “General retired former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa ne meri qamar mei chaaqu mara” (Bajwa stabbed me in the back).

    He claimed Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman is still in touch with him. PTI supremo said Bajwa spoke against Russia in a speech and he should be court-martialed for that.

    He also revealed he decided not to fly to Islamabad at the eleventh hour after he got the news that the government wanted to arrest him from the airport and take him to Balochistan.

    Stating that he feels danger from those who are supposed to protect him, Imran Khan said that there is a recorded video of him about the threat to his life.

  • Ishaq Dar denies reports of financial emergency amidst economic turmoil

    Ishaq Dar denies reports of financial emergency amidst economic turmoil

    On Friday, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar denied reports suggesting Pakistan should impose a financial emergency, amidst constant criticism over the current economic turmoil. He berated Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for spreading “fake news” about Pakistan heading towards default. Dar blamed the previous PTI government for pushing the nation of 220 million people on the brink of default, claiming that it was the coalition government that saved the country by prioritising the state over politics.

    Dar recalled that when the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) ousted Khan through a no-confidence motion, the leaders of the coalition government had decided to keep aside all political interests in the wider interest of the state. He stated that the PTI leaders have been calling him out since the rupee plunged to a historic low of Rs285.09 a day earlier while February’s inflation hit nearly a 50-year high of 31.5 per cent.

    Expressing his surprise and concerns over Khan’s continuous criticism of the coalition government, he said: “I am unable to understate whether he (Khan) has a problem in his leg or brain.” Instead of protecting the national interest, PTI’s leadership tried to sabotage the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal, Dar said. “Khan’s attitude is selfish.”

    According to Geo, Dar reiterated that Pakistan has neither defaulted in the past nor will it default in the future. Referring to Khan’s remarks about default, the finance minister said that the PTI chairman’s statements adversely affect the country’s financial markets. He, however, admitted that the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) reserves fell below $3 billion. It should be noted that the liquid foreign reserves held by the country stand at around $9 billion as of February 24 while the net reserves held by commercial banks stand at around $5.5 billion.

    The finance minister revealed that China has renewed a facility under which Pakistan expected an additional inflow of $500 million in the “next few days”. He highlighted the PDM-led government’s economic achievements, stating that the foreign exchange reserves held by the SBP climbed to $3.8 billion from $2.8 billion recorded last month. He maintained that the government returned $6.5 billion of foreign debt during the current fiscal year.

    Dar drew a comparison between the economic performance of nearly four years of PTI and almost 11 months of PDM-led government. He shared numeric data to prove that Khan and Co. did everything to “destroy the country,” but the numbers show who is sincere with the country. Dar argued that the opposition — the PTI — has not really improved Pakistan’s standing. However, Pakistan will escape the economic quagmire, he said, adding that the country is making repayments to bilateral and multilateral lenders and has made payments beyond its capacity.

  • Atlas Honda announces second price hike within 20 days due to depreciation of Pakistani rupee

    Atlas Honda announces second price hike within 20 days due to depreciation of Pakistani rupee

    Atlas Honda has announced its second price increase in the last 20 days, attributing it to the substantial depreciation of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar, which had also led to their earlier bike price hike on February 15, 2023.

    According to the company’s notification, Honda bike prices will be as follows:

    Honda CD70

    The Honda CD70 will now cost Rs144,900, an increase of Rs7,000 from the previous price of Rs137,900.

    Honda CD 70 Dream

    The Honda CD 70 Dream will now cost Rs155,500, an increase of Rs8,600 from the previous price of Rs147,500.

    Honda Pridor

    The new price of the Honda Pridor is Rs190,500, an increase of Rs9,000 from the previous price of Rs181,500.

    Honda CG 125

    The Honda CG 125 will now cost Rs214,900, an increase of Rs9,000 from the previous price of Rs205,900.

    Honda CG 125 SE

    The Honda CG 125 SE will now cost Rs255,900, an increase of Rs12,000 from the previous price of Rs243,900.

    Honda CB 125F

    The Honda CB 125F will now cost Rs350,900, an increase of Rs20,000 from the previous price of Rs330,900.

    Honda CB 150F

    The Honda CB 150F will now cost Rs443,900, an increase of Rs25,000 from the previous price of Rs418,900.

    Honda CB 150F SE

    The Honda CB 150F SE will now cost Rs447,900, an increase of Rs25,000 from the previous price of Rs422,900.

    This is the second price hike within the last 20 days, which has further eroded the purchasing power of the middle class that is already struggling due to inflation. With car and bike prices on the rise, the common person is finding it increasingly difficult to afford their daily means of transportation.

  • Those who cut trees in Lahore should be jailed, says court

    Those who cut trees in Lahore should be jailed, says court

    The Lahore High Court (LHC), while hearing a petition seeking curbs to control smog in Lahore, barred Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) from cutting trees in Lahore and other parts of the province where smog is prevalent.

    Justice Shahid Karim also warned that those found cutting trees will be jailed.

    In the hearing which took place on Friday, a member of the judicial commission informed the court that WAPDA staff is cutting trees in Lahore and other parts of the province because of their transmission lines.

    Smog is dangerous for the lives of citizens in Lahore, the LHC judge remarked.

    Lahore is consistently featured among the top ten cities with the worst Air Quality Index (AQI).

    In December, some of Pakistan’s biggest cities were ranked among the most polluted in the world. Lahore, the capital of the province was ranked as the metropolis with the most polluted air thrice in one week.

  • President Alvi announces April 30 as date for Punjab elections

    President Alvi announces April 30 as date for Punjab elections

    President Dr Arif Alvi has announced April 30 for holding the general elections of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab.

    “President Dr Arif Alvi has announced to hold general elections of Punjab Assembly on April 30, Sunday,” tweeted the President’s office. 

    Dr Alvi’s office said that the decision was made by President Alvi after “considering the dates suggested by the Election Commission”.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has on Friday written a letter to the President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi, proposing that elections be held between April 30 and May 7 in Punjab.

    The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja. In a press release, ECP said, “The Election Commission has sent a letter to the president in light of the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in which the dates for holding the elections in Punjab have been suggested between April 30 and May 7, 2023.”

    The press release also said that the electoral body had written a letter to the Governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and was waiting for his reply to announce a date for elections in the province.

    The letter comes a little more than two days after the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled in a suo moto case that elections in both provinces be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the assemblies.

  • Local man mansplains to woman on how long household chores take, gives Twitter some hilarious content

    It’s a tale as old as time, a song as old as rhyme, that men will never stop mansplaining to women about their lived experiences.

    Whether you’re a professional or not, men will consistently assume they know better about the topics you have spent your entire life actually doing.

    A hilarious exchange took place on Twitter when a woman pointed out how much time and energy is expected from them to complete their household chores but in return they are denied their right to property or receive wages from their husband as compensation.
    In jumps Bashir who proudly declares uss ko sab kuch pata hai.

    https://twitter.com/MiddIePath/status/1630319594454802434?s=20

    And then to further prove his point, the man decides to make an excel chart of the numerous chores women must complete on a daily basis and the amount of time it takes to complete them. His source: the little angry man screaming inside his brain.

    https://twitter.com/MiddIePath/status/1630961363022381057?s=20

    As shocking as that sounds, Twitter took delight in the opportunity to roast mediocre men. Soon users on the app responded with some hilarious memes.

    le sigh

    No you’re wrong! Brother must have a super cleaning robot in his home and now expects women to act like robots as well!

    Wish house chores were finished this quickly as this man assumes

    https://twitter.com/yoMamaLilith/status/1631349964721774602?s=20

    Oh, we’re laughing

    Men reading this, khuda ka wasta delusion mein say niklo and come into the real world. Women aren’t robots and it’s not their job to cater to your needs every day. If you’re so desperate to marry, then learn to properly finish household chores and listen to what women have to say.

  • ‘No connection’; Fawad denies alleged audio leak

    ‘No connection’; Fawad denies alleged audio leak

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has denied that the alleged audio leak of him discussing judges of the superior judiciary has anything to do with him.

    The audio conversation, allegedly between Fawad Chaudhry and his brother Faisal Chaudhary, surfaced online early Friday morning, with two voices discussing a meeting between senior judges.

    “Another fake audio has been thrown in the market in my name. I have no connection with this audio,” Chaudhary tweeted within hours of the conversation surfacing online.

    A voice, allegedly Fawad Chaudhry’s, tells his younger brother that a judge of the Lahore High Court (LHC) wants to meet a judge of the Supreme Court. The judge is the same who’s alleged audio conversation with Pervez Elahi surfaced online a few weeks ago. The voice also asks that four more sections are imposed on Ata Tarrar of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

  • TikTok will set a 60 minute screen time limit for users under 18

    TikTok will set a 60 minute screen time limit for users under 18

    After consistent criticism against social media apps on the harmful impact they have on underage users, TikTok has announced measures to tackle the problem. On Wednesday, Tik Tok revealed that users under the age of 18 will now have their usage restricted to a one hour time limit.
    Once the 60 minutes limit has been reached, users will have to type in a passcode to continue, a move which will allow them to make an active decision to continue using the app.
    Cormac Keena, the head of trust and safety at Tik Tok, wrote a blog post where he revealed that the company had consulted experts and researchers from the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston’s Childrens Hospital about how to help teenagers limit their online activity.
    “While there’s no collectively-endorsed position on how much screen time is ‘too much’, or even the impact of screen time more broadly, we recognize that teens typically require extra support as they start to explore the online world independently,” Keenan wrote.
    Keenan also revealed that a new update will be added to Tik Tok’s Family Pairing feature, which will allow a parent or guardian to link their account to their child’s and set controls like filtering words or hashtags they don’t want their minor to come across, or even set a custom daily screen time limit.

  • Pakistani rupee bounces back after steep decline against dollar

    Pakistani rupee bounces back after steep decline against dollar

    During the early hours of trading on Friday, the Pakistani rupee (PKR) saw a significant recovery against the US dollar, with an increase of 4.51 per cent. The inter-bank market quoted the PKR at Rs272.78 by 11:50 am, representing an increase of Rs12.31 against the US dollar.

    This follows a steep decline of 6.66 per cent or nearly Rs19 to settle at an all-time low of Rs285.09 against the US dollar on Thursday.

    On Thursday, the State Bank of Pakistan’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) raised the key policy rate by 300 basis points (bps) to 20 per cent, aiming to curb inflation.

    The committee also emphasized the need for energy conservation measures to ease pressure on the external account and meet import requirements. The MPC expects this decision to stabilize inflation expectations and bring it to a medium-term target of 5 per cent-7 per cent by end-FY25.

    Globally, the US dollar eased back from a 2-1/2-month high against the yen on Friday, and weakened toward its first weekly loss since January against major peers. This comes as traders tried to gauge the path for Federal Reserve policy.

    According to Geo, the dollar index, which measures the currency against the yen, euro, and four other major peers, fell 0.11 per cent to 104.85, from its peak of 105.36 earlier this week. The index has decreased by 0.36 per cent since last Friday.

    Meanwhile, oil prices, a critical currency parity indicator, dropped on Friday, but remained poised for a weekly gain due to renewed optimism regarding China’s demand recovery, outweighing concerns over growing crude inventories in the US and tighter monetary policy in Europe.

    This is an intraday update.

  • ‘Sit down!’: Maryam and Khan continue Twitter phaddah

    ‘Sit down!’: Maryam and Khan continue Twitter phaddah

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice-President Maryam Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan continued their Twitter spat over the depreciation of the rupee against the dollar on Thursday.

    Calling out the Pakistan Democratic Movemnet (PDM)-led government for slaughtering the rupee and blaming the “regime change conspiracy” narrative imposed on Pakistanis by former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, Khan tweeted, “Rupee slaughtered — lost over 62% or 110/$ in 11 months of PDM. This has increased public debt alone Rs 14.3 trn [trillion] & historic 75 yr high inflation 31.5%.”

    He added that Pakistanis are “paying [a] heavy price of regime change conspiracy where a bunch of criminals have been foisted upon nation by ex COAS”.

    Responding to Khan’s statement, Maryam snapped back at him dismissing his party for its three-year-long “incompetence”.

    “Mighty audacious of u to criticize those who’re undoing yr mess created through yr ruthless plunder, incompetence, misplaced priorities, cruel deal that you struck with IMF & then its breach that plunged the country into economic turmoil,” Maryam tweeted.

    Maryam then told Khan “So sit down!” in her tweet.

    “And let’s not forget to thank all those for this mayhem who handpicked and fed you for four years, as well as the remnants of their influence in the judiciary that you are now banking on,” the PML-N leader tweeted adding that it won’t be allowed again.

    “Won’t let that happen Insha’Allah,” Maryam added.

    The two indulged in a Twitter spat after the rupee plunged by nearly Rs19 against the US dollar today ahead of the central bank’s monetary policy review and amid concerns over a stalled International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal.

    Lat week, Maryam hit back at Khan on Twitter after he called her a spoilt brat in a tweet.

    “Shameless & calculated attacks on SC judges by PDM & spoilt brat Maryam, nurtured on corruption money, have one purpose only – to run away from elections even by violating Constitution,” tweeted Khan.

    Responding to Khan’s accusations, Maryam tweeted, “Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Your squeals are not amiss as you have been the king of conspiracies,thriving & surviving on them with the help of your Godfather Faiz & his vestiges.”