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Author: News Desk

  • Police conduct search operation outside IK’s Zaman Park residence

    Police conduct search operation outside IK’s Zaman Park residence

    The Punjab police have conducted a search operation outside Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s residence in Zaman Park, Lahore on suspicion of possible security threat and to locate any suspicious item.

    The police also used a metal detector in the search operation.

    The police also carried out a search operation in the camps outside Khan’s residence.

    In the late hours of Friday night, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and supporters gathered in large numbers at Khan’s residence to thwart any attempt of arrest.

    Since the ouster of Imran Khan from power, his party has said that Khan’s life is in danger.

  • Chinese woman sentenced to 12 years in prison for stealing $146,000 worth luxury bags from friend

    Chinese woman sentenced to 12 years in prison for stealing $146,000 worth luxury bags from friend

    A Chinese woman has stolen luxury items worth $146,000 including Hermes and Louis Vuitton bags, Bulgari bracelets and branded clothes from her close friend.

    Liu and Cao had been close friends for years until Cao requested Liu’s help in home renovations by handing her the house key, as she had purchased a new home in Changchun, Jin province.


    For the next three years, Liu began replacing her friend’s luxury items with second-hand fakes. It was in 2022 that Cao discovered the crime and reported it to the police.

    Cao had not originally suspected her friend Liu. Howevever, once the police informed the criminal that they had traced the items to her, she confessed to them and begged Cao for forgiveness.


    A local court has found Liu guilty and sentenced her to 12 years in prison.

  • Sheikh Rashid to be formally charged on March 2 in Zardari allegations case

    Awami Muslim League (AML) chief and former Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid will be formally charged on March 2 by a district and sessions court in Islamabad for accusing former President Asif Ali Zardari of plotting an assassination attempt on Imran Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    The court has also ordered that the former interior minister’s appears before the judge on the said date.

    Rashid requested the court to set March 15 as the date for indictment. However, the judge said that the high court has given its orders and the date cannot be extended.

    Court grants bail to Sheikh Rasheed in Zardari remarks case

    On Thursday, Rashid was granted bail in this case by Islamabad High Court (IHC).

    The high court approved his application and passed an order to submit surety bonds worth Rs50,000.

    Earlier, a district and sessions court of Islamabad rejected his bail, after which he approached the high court.

    In the early hours of February 2, Rashid was arrested from his home in Islamabad and was later handed over to police on a two-day physical remand.

    Rashid was also booked in another case in Karachi for allegedly using inappropriate language against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

  • President, PM condemn Karachi police chief office attack

    President, PM condemn Karachi police chief office attack

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi have condemned Friday’s terrorist attack on the office of the police chief in Karachi.

    The building came under attack around 7:10pm, triggering an operation initiated by law enforcement agencies immediately after, with cops and soldiers of the Pakistan Army and Rangers taking on the terrorists together.

    Three persons, including security personnel, were martyred, while 18 people sustained injuries. Five terrorists were also killed in the attack.

    As the operation to clear the attackers out from the building has finally concluded, people from across the country, including officials and celebrities, have come together to condemn the attack.

    President Dr Arif Alvi sent out a message of support through the President House Twitter account, stating: “The entire nation stands with its security forces against terrorists. Efforts will continue to eradicate the menace of terrorism.”

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemning the attack, tweeted, ” I strongly condemn the terrorist attack on the police in Karachi and salute the brave police and law enforcement personnel who foiled the attack. Terrorists may have forgotten that Pakistan is the nation which defeated terrorism with its bravery and courage.”

    Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took to Twitter and tweeted, “Sindh police have bravely faced and crushed terrorism before. We have full faith they will do so again, such cowardly attacks will not deter us.”

    Security forces cleared a five-storey police compound on the port city’s main thoroughfare in an hours-long operation during which three militants of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed while two policemen, one Rangers official and a citizen embraced martyrdom.

    At least 19 men, mostly police and Rangers officials, sustained injuries in the exchange of fire with militants who stormed the heavily guarded Karachi Police Office after lobbing a hand grenade at its main entrance, police and hospital officials said.

    The outlawed TTP has claimed responsibility for the latest ambush.

  • Pakistan will never shut down social media sites again, IT Minister promises

    Pakistan will never shut down social media sites again, IT Minister promises

    Speaking at the ‘Accelerating US Investments in Pakistan’ event in Karachi, Federal IT and Telecommunication Minister Aminul Haq said that closing social media sites and applications is not the solution to the problem, and Pakistan has decided that no website or app will be closed in any case.

    Pakistan has a history of banning social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and most recently, Wikipedia. However, Haq emphasized that “banning can never be a solution.” Haq’s statement is a significant departure from Pakistan’s previous actions, and he promised that any such action would go through the IT ministry, where there will be no ban from now on.

    Despite bureaucratic hurdles at the Finance Division, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Haq’s ministry has been persistent and able to get many things done, such as allowing IT export companies to retain 35% of dollars in their accounts.

    During the event, Haq praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for supporting the Digital Pakistan vision despite all the bureaucratic hurdles.

  • IMF urges Pakistan to increase interest rate to move towards positive trajectory

    IMF urges Pakistan to increase interest rate to move towards positive trajectory

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently engaged in discussions concerning the possibility of tightening monetary policy and increasing foreign exchange reserves by the end of June 2023.

    As of February 10, 2023, Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves held by the SBP stood at $3.1 billion, reflecting a $276 million increase. This was largely due to improved liquidity resulting from the reduction of discrepancies between the inter-bank and open markets following adjustments of the exchange rate.

    In accordance with the IMF’s recommendation to increase foreign exchange reserves to $12 billion by the end of June 2023, Pakistan will need to secure at least $17-18 billion over the next four-and-a-half months. This amount encompasses external debt repayment obligations of $5 billion, current account deficit (CAD) financing of $3-4 billion, and foreign exchange reserve building of $8-9 billion.

    If Pakistan’s proposal is approved by the IMF, it will require inflows of $11-12 billion in order to meet foreign debt servicing, CAD financing, and foreign exchange reserve building up to $6-$7 billion by the end of June 2023. The IMF has also suggested raising the policy rate by 300 to 400 basis points to shift towards a positive interest rate trajectory. However, SBP officials have asserted that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), established under the SBP Amendment Act, is empowered to make decisions based on macroeconomic fundamentals.

    According to a senior official of the finance ministry, Pakistani authorities are hoping to reach a staff-level agreement with the IMF’s review mission next week before the IMF executive board meeting in four to six weeks. Nevertheless, there is still a discrepancy on external financing projections.

    Pakistan has implemented tough measures, including increasing electricity and gas tariffs, imposing taxes worth Rs170 billion through a mini-budget, adopting a market-based exchange rate, and raising POL prices. While these steps were in the hands of Pakistani authorities, the most critical aspect now is securing confirmation from multilateral and bilateral creditors to meet the program period’s substantial external financing requirements. The EFF program is set to expire on June 30, 2023, with no possibility of extending it further.

    The IMF is pressing for a gross foreign exchange reserves target of up to $11-$12 billion by the end of June 2023, whereas Pakistan is requesting a target between $6 and $8 billion, given the possibility of reduced confirmation from bilateral partners. Both sides agree that reaching a gross foreign exchange reserves position of $16.2 billion by the end of June 2023, as requested during the finalization of the 7th and 8th reviews under the $6.5 billion EFF arrangement, is not feasible.

    The Pakistani side seeks a 50 per cent reduction in the target for the end of the program period, but the IMF insists on obtaining confirmation from all possible sources. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar is currently in Dubai, attempting to secure approval from multilateral and bilateral creditors as well as commercial banks to obtain the required dollar inflows support for the IMF program’s revival.

  • Pakistan’s export market takes a hit: Textile group exports down 14.83% in January

    Pakistan’s export market takes a hit: Textile group exports down 14.83% in January

    According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the country’s textile group exports declined by approximately 8.17 per cent during the first seven months (July-January) of fiscal year 2022-23, totaling $10.039 billion as compared to $10.933 billion during the same period of the previous year.

    The data also showed that textile group exports witnessed a year-on-year decline of 14.83 per cent in January 2023, amounting to $1.321 billion, compared to $1.551 billion during the same month in the previous year. Additionally, on a month-on-month basis, the textile group registered a negative growth of 2.53 per cent compared to $1.356 billion in December 2022.

    Cotton yarn exports experienced a negative growth of 34.66 per cent during July-January, totaling $449.419 million compared to $687.857 million during the same period in the previous year. On a year-on-year basis, cotton yarn exports registered a negative growth of 12.34 per cent, while on a month-on-month basis, it registered a growth of 27.22 per cent.

    Rice exports declined by 15.82 per cent during the first seven months of fiscal year 2022-23, totaling $1.083 billion compared to $1.286 billion during the same period in the previous fiscal year. Overall, the country’s exports during July-January 2022-23 totaled $16.499 billion (provisional) compared to $17.739 billion during the corresponding period of the previous year, showing a decrease of 6.99 per cent.

    In January 2023, the country’s exports amounted to $2.244 billion (provisional) compared to $2.313 billion in December 2022, reflecting a decrease of 2.98 per cent and a decline of 14.15 per cent compared to $2.614 billion in January 2022. The primary commodities of exports during January 2023 were knitwear, readymade garments, bed wear, cotton cloth, rice others, towels, cotton yarn, made-up articles (excluding towels and bedwear), rice basmati, and surgical goods and medical instruments.

  • Honda Atlas passes on sales tax burden to customers with another massive price hike

    Honda Atlas passes on sales tax burden to customers with another massive price hike

    Honda Atlas Cars announced on Friday that it would be increasing the prices of its completely knocked down (CKD) models in response to a rise in sales tax.

    The car manufacturer cited several reasons for this decision, including the devaluation of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar, a volatile business environment, and the increase in sales tax.

    As a result, the company will raise the prices of its CKD models by up to Rs550,000, marking the third hike.

    The new retail sale price (RSP) will be effective for all new orders placed from February 18 onwards.

    Here are the new prices of all Honda cars:

    ModelOd priceNew priceHike
    City MT 1.2LRs4,329,000Rs4,579,000Rs250,000
    City CVT 1.2L Rs4,469,000Rs4,729,000Rs260,000
    City CVT 1.5L Rs4,739,000Rs5,019,000Rs280,000
    City Asp MT 1.5LRs4,939,000Rs5,229,000Rs290,000
    City Asp CVT 1.5LRs5,119,000Rs5,419,000Rs300,000
    BR-V CVT SRs5,649,000Rs5,949,000Rs300,000
    HR-V VTIRs6,799,000Rs7,199,000Rs400,000
    HR-V-VTI SRs6,999,000Rs7,399,000Rs400,000
    Civic 1.5L M CVTRs7,299,000Rs7,779,000Rs480,000
    Civic 1.5L Oriel M CVTRs7,599,000Rs8,099,000Rs500,000
    Civic RS 1.5LL CVTRs8,649,000Rs9,199,000Rs550,000
    Honda Cars Latest Prices in Pakistan – February 18, 2023

    Customers who have existing back orders as of February 17 will also be subject to the new retail sale price. Additionally, a 1 per cent additional sales tax will be applied to all back orders that have been paid in full as of the previous price increase letter, dated February 6.

    Honda Atlas Cars stated that any unclear back orders, with the exception of the Civic model, that are due up until March 23 can be invoiced if full payment (February 6 price + 1 per cent additional sales tax) is received by February 27 (with an instrument date of February 27). However, the automaker noted that the prices are subject to change and that the prices prevailing at the time of delivery will be final. Any changes in government levies or taxes will be borne by the customers.

    Furthermore, Honda Atlas announced an increase in the rates of its motorcycles the day before.

  • ‘I don’t feel comfortable with slapping scenes’: Bushra Ansari

    ‘I don’t feel comfortable with slapping scenes’: Bushra Ansari

    Bushra Ansari’s currently winning hearts as the strict mother-in-law on the ARY drama ‘Tere Bin’, however it seems like the actor isn’t too comfortable with the character’s cold, selfish nature. Especially in a particular scene where her character Maa Begum slaps Meerab for dancing.
    In a behind the scenes interiew, Ansari confessed that she finds slapping scenes quite difficult to perform:
    “The one thing that I don’t like is slapping people, and I get incredibly upset over it. Not just girls, but with boys as well I have to give a lot of re-takes. In a lot of previous dramas I had to slap actors like my own son. I slapped Wahaj, Ahsan Khan and then Mikaal Zulfiqar…Just one thing I would change about her character is how much she slaps people. Because it breaks my heart. Allah karay I never have to come across such a situation.”
    Ansari also explained the mindset and personality of Maa Begam, and elaborated on how when Meerab began dancing at her wedding, she challenged this mindset which is why she was slapped.
    “I (my character) have a set of rules like ‘this is my house, this is my family and these are my rules, and this isn’t right that my daughter-in-law is dancing at wedding. But no one would find this to be proper, as this is a part of our own culture… I see women now days are dancing at their wedding and wearing full makeup. Back in our days we had a tradition that a bride would wear no makeup so that her face would glow.”

    You can watch the complete interview here:

  • Female and male students can’t sit together at KP’s Gomal University

    Female and male students can’t sit together at KP’s Gomal University

    Gomal University in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Dera Ismail Khan has implemented a total ban on joint gatherings of male and female students on campus “in any ground or roads”.

    The university also issued a notification in this regard on Wednesday which reads: “gathering/coupling (male and female) is totally banned in any ground, roads etc. beyond the premises of department.”

    The university also directed female students to “be careful” and limit themselves just to their classrooms and department common rooms.

    Moreover, it also warned of strict action against those students found violating the rules.

    Interestingly, the notification was issued the day after Valentine’s Day (February 14).