Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • US sees TTP as a threat to Pakistan

    US sees TTP as a threat to Pakistan

    Counselor of the United States (US) State Department, Derek Chollet, has said that his country sees the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a threat to Pakistan.

    While talking to ARY, Chollet said, “We have seen [TTP] in a terrible way a threat to Pakistan. The US considers any terrorist act as unexpectable.”

    The Counselor will pay an important visit to Pakistan during the ongoing week to explore possibilities of coordinating efforts to combat terrorism.

    He was also of the view that there is a great opportunity to further improve the relationship between Washington and Islamabad.

    The US diplomat said that Pakistan and US are working together to deal with the threats of terrorism.

    Since government talks with the TTP broke down in November, the militant group has intensified its attacks across Pakistan including attacks on the police.

    According to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), January 2023 remained one of the deadliest months since July 2018.

    Most recently, more than 100 people lost their lives during a suicide attack at a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines. The TTP initially claimed responsibility for the attack, however, it later backtracked and claimed that they did not perpetrate the bombing.

  • Pakistani rupee strengthens by Rs2.82 against dollar, closes at Rs270.51

    Pakistani rupee strengthens by Rs2.82 against dollar, closes at Rs270.51

    The Pakistani rupee (PKR) experienced an upward trend against the US dollar in the inter-bank market on Thursday, appreciating by 1.04 per cent due to expectations surrounding the revival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.

    According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the currency closed at Rs270.51 against the US dollar, reflecting an increase of Rs2.82. Despite this improvement, the currency has depreciated by 23.7 per cent during the current fiscal year against the US dollar.

    On Wednesday, the PKR also saw significant gains against the US dollar, closing at Rs273.33, reflecting an appreciation of Rs2.95 or 1.08 per cent.

    In a key development, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday negotiations between Pakistan and the IMF are “on track” and “we will announce good news soon”.

    Speaking to the media, Dar said talks between the two sides had entered the final round, progress has been “satisfactory” and he hopes discussions will conclude today.

    The dollar index, which measures the US currency against six rivals, was 0.029 per cent higher on Thursday at 103.460, having dropped nearly 0.3 per cent in the previous session.

    Gold prices, rose for a fourth straight session as the dollar faltered, although bullion’s outlook remained cloudy amid the comments made by Fed officials.

    Meanwhile, oil prices, a key indicator of currency parity, were broadly steady on Thursday as the prospect of higher fuel demand in China as it reopens post-COVID curbs were offset by fears that US crude stocks hitting their highest for months may signal weakening demand in the world’s number one economy.

  • Everything is going alright with IMF, says Ishaq Dar

    Everything is going alright with IMF, says Ishaq Dar

    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday that it is expected that the matters between the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding the conclusion of the 9th review of the $7 billion loan program will be settled today.

    “Everything is going alright,” replied the finance minister when asked about the status of the discussions with the visiting IMF delegation. “The final round is currently underway. I have daily meetings with the IMF team and will do so again today,” he added.

    “It is expected matters will be settled today,” Dar said. “We will give you the news very soon.”

    A delegation from the IMF, led by Nathan Porter, has arrived in Islamabad for discussions surrounding the completion of the ninth review. The discussions are set to conclude on the same day.

    The successful completion of the review would result in the disbursement of $1.2 billion from the IMF and also unlock additional funding from friendly nations and other multilateral lenders, which is crucial for Pakistan to avoid default.

    Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Aisha Ghaus Pasha informed journalists on Wednesday that the government and the IMF are in close proximity to finalizing the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP).

    Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Aisha Ghaus Pasha stated that the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) would be delivered to Pakistan by the IMF once all issues have been resolved. The Minister noted that significant progress had been made, but added that the IMF was seeking clarification on certain aspects, which the government team is working to address.

    In a written statement, the ministry said the talks with the IMF continued on Wednesday and “focused on fiscal table, financing, etc. There is a broad consensus on the reform actions and measures”.

    Additionally, the mission chief also held a meeting with the finance minister to provide an update on the discussions. “The mission is working on putting it all together and will finalise the MEFP,” stated the finance secretary, who declined to comment on the possibility of extending the scheduled talks in order to reach a staff-level agreement.

    According to Dawn, it is of utmost importance for Pakistan to reach a agreement with the IMF, as the foreign exchange reserves have depleted to a low of $3.09 billion as of January 27th, which is only sufficient to cover 18 days’ worth of imports.

  • How many people does PM Shehbaz need in his cabinet to run the country?

    How many people does PM Shehbaz need in his cabinet to run the country?

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has appointed seven more Special Assistants to the PM (SAPMs) on pro bono basis, as the federal cabinet swells to 85.

    As per details, the PM has appointed five new SAPMs including Members of National Assembly Rao Ajmal, Shaista Parvez, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Muhammad Hamid Hameed, Malik Sohail Khan, Chaudhary Abid Raza and Muhammad Moeen Wattoo.

    Criticising the PM’s decision, PTI leader Farrukh Habib remarked that the government was close to making a century of cabinet members.

    The newly appointed SAPMs will enjoy the status of ministers of state, however they have not been assigned any portfolios yet.

    Of the 85 cabinet members, 34 are federal ministers, seven are ministers of state, and there are four advisers to the PM and 40 SAPMs.

    Besides the long list of federal cabinet members, 38 parliamentary secretaries in the National Assembly answer questions on behalf of the ministers in their absence.

  • You can now share your thoughts in a new way with WhatsApp voice statuses feature

    You can now share your thoughts in a new way with WhatsApp voice statuses feature

    WhatsApp has recently introduced a new feature, allowing users to post voice notes as statuses, with a maximum recording length of 30 seconds for their contacts to listen to. These voice notes will have a lifespan of 24 hours before disappearing, expanding the types of content that can be shared through the status feature.

    The meta-owned messenger introduced the status feature in 2017, which initially allowed users to share photos, videos, GIFs, and text updates. With the increasing popularity of voice messaging on the platform, the company has now added the option to share voice notes as statuses. In March of the previous year, WhatsApp announced that it was processing a daily average of 7 billion voice messages, further highlighting the growing demand for this feature.

    Moreover, WhatsApp is enhancing the status feature by offering status reactions, similar to the message reactions that were introduced by the company last year. Additionally, users will now have the ability to specify their desired audience for statuses, allowing them to control who can view their updates. This audience selection can be saved and applied to all future status updates, providing more control over privacy and visibility.

    It is currently uncertain how many users are actively utilizing the status feature to communicate with their contacts, however, the company is actively striving to increase its popularity.

  • GHQ excuses itself from deploying army and rangers’ personnel for upcoming elections

    GHQ excuses itself from deploying army and rangers’ personnel for upcoming elections

    The General Headquarters (GHQ) on Thursday excused from providing personnel from army, paramilitary Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC) for the upcoming elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
    

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had requested the Defense Ministry to deploy army and rangers for the upcoming elections in the two provinces.

    Responding to the ministry, GHQ said that the forces are occupied with national security duties due to the recent wave of terrorism.

    However, Punjab Rangers will be available as the Quick Response Force during these elections.

    On the other hand, replying to the ECP’s letter, the Finance Ministry has asked the election-conducting authority to postpone its demand for an additional grant in the wider national interest.

    The finance ministry requested the election commission to delay its request for the grant until the economic situation of the country improves.

  • Mooove over men! This Valentine’s day, India wants people to hug cows

    Mooove over men! This Valentine’s day, India wants people to hug cows

    It looks like the lonely singles in India will have something to do other than side-glaring at all the happy couples out there.
    An appeal signed by The Animal Welfare Board of India has encouraged people to hug cows on Valentine’s Day, suggesting that it will bring about “emotional richness” and “increase individual and collective happiness.”

    Calling cows the backbone of Indian culture and rural economy, the organisation has emphasized how the mammal sustains life, represents cattle wealth and biodiversity. “It is known as ‘kamdhenu’ and ‘gaumata’ because of its nourishing nature like a mother, the giver of all providing [sic] riches to humanity.
    Vedic traditions are almost on the verge of extinction due to the progress of west [sic] culture over time. The dazzle of western civilization has made our physical culture and heritage almost forgotten.
    In view of the immense benefits of the cow, hugging [the] cow will bring emotional richness hence will increase our individual and collective happiness. Therefore, all the cow lovers may also celebrate February 14 as Cow Hug Day, keeping in mind the importance of the mother cow and making life happy and full of positive energy. This [was] issued with the approval of competent authority and on the direction of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.”

    As soon as this news began circulating on social media, #CowHugDay started to trend both in Pakistan and India, and for once users from both countries began to bond over the pointlessness of politics.

    Bhai,bhai

    Ok, RUDE

    https://twitter.com/Rifrif9510/status/1623503842540400641?s=20&t=Uh_9Tj7t0XF06GcPo-DTtA

  • Punjab police seizes 1.3 million litres of illegally hoarded petrol in a crackdown

    Punjab police seizes 1.3 million litres of illegally hoarded petrol in a crackdown

    Pursuant to the warning issued by Petroleum Minister Dr Musadik Malik, the Punjab police initiated a crackdown against individuals engaged in the illicit stockpiling of petrol and diesel in several areas of the province, including Sheikhupura, Patoki, and Daska.

    The Inspector General of Punjab issued directives for strict enforcement against such practices and instructed that decisive action be taken against those found to be responsible.

    In accordance with the directives, police teams conducted raids on multiple fuel stations in Sheikhupura and Patoki, resulting in the recovery of over 1.3 million litres of petrol that had been illegally stockpiled by mafias. The contraband was found stored in underground tanks in warehouses, and over a dozen containers filled with gasoline were also seized.

    The District Police Officer, Zahid Marwat, reported that the value of the recovered gasoline exceeds 300 million rupees. He further stated that appropriate legal action, including the filing of charges, will be taken against those found to be responsible for the hoarding of fuel.

    On Wednesday, Minister of State for Petroleum, Musadik Malik, dispelled all rumors of a shortage of petroleum products in the country.

    According to ARY News, during a press conference held in Islamabad, the state minister stated that Pakistan has an ample supply of both diesel and gasoline. He issued a warning to those engaged in hoarding, stating that the government will revoke licenses for those found to be artificially creating a shortage of these products.

    The minister also sought to dispel any notion that the government is responsible for increasing the prices of petroleum products.

  • This smart diaper will send a phone notification when baby needs a diaper change

    This smart diaper will send a phone notification when baby needs a diaper change

    A team of researchers from Penn State have developed ‘smart diapers’ with built-in sensors that notify parents when their baby needs to be changed.


    The diaper is made out of paper that has been pre-treated with sodium chloride (salt) and has an outline of a circuit board on it that is traced over with a pencil to transfer graphite to the surface with a tiny lithium battery attached.


    “Once the diaper gets wet, the graphite reacts with the liquid and sodium chloride and, as it’s absorbed by the paper, electrons will flow to the graphite to set off a sensor,” the description states.


    It can even tell parents how moist the diaper is, which may help them decide whether it needs to be changed right away or not.

  • ‘Benefit of doubt’ for Gen Asim Munir: Imran Khan

    Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), while talking to journalists at his Zaman Park residence, discussed his strained relationship with the establishment and said that he gives the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, the “benefit of doubt”.

    When asked if the incumbent army chief is following the policy of former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa with regards to the PTI, Khan responded that that Munir had been in office for a mere two months and he was willing to give him the “benefit of the doubt”.

    Khan reiterated that a three-year extension given to Bajwa during his tenure as Prime Minister was a “big blunder”. He alleged that his rival Nawaz Sharif had struck a deal with Bajwa in return for endorsing his extension in parliament. In return, Bajwa started securing relief for Nawaz and others in corruption cases.

    “Nawaz had set two conditions for his return — my disqualification and victory in Punjab polls,” Khan claimed.

    He warned: “But let me tell you that my disqualification is not possible in any of the fake cases they have instituted against me if legal procedures are followed.”

    Speaking about the ‘court arrest’ movement, which he announced last week, Imran Khan said he would be at the forefront of the struggle. “I will be leading the Jail Bharo Tehreek — which is a non-violent drive — after recovering from bullet wounds in two weeks or so,” he said, adding that preparations for the movement have already begun.

    Imran Khan has had an estranged relationship with the military since he was removed from power in April 2022 through a Vote of No Confidence. Since being deposed, the former Prime Minister has criticised high-ranking officials in the army, including General (retd) Bajwa.