Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • Journalist who was allegedly involved in Gen Bajwa’s tax data leak returns home

    Journalist who was allegedly involved in Gen Bajwa’s tax data leak returns home

    Senior investigative journalist Shahid Aslam took to Twitter to announce his release from the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for his alleged part in leaking the personal tax data of former army chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    In a series of tweets, he thanked his colleagues within the media community.

    He said, “Thanks everybody including the media community particularly @UmarCheema1 @AzazSyed @matiullahjan911 @Fahdshehbazkhan @AmirZia1 @AnsarAAbbasi @AsadAToor and my lawyer @MianAliAshfaq for the unprecedented support on my illegal arrest by @FIA_Agency and those who had ordered.”

    After Aslam’s arrest, many journalists came forward for his defence.

    On January 18, the Islamabad sessions court granted bail to him after being in custody for four days.

    On January 14, Aslam was sent on a two-day physical remand to FIA over his alleged involvement in this matter.

    ‘Dehshatgardon ki tarhaan mujhe uthwaya hai’; journalist who was allegedly involved in Gen Bajwa’s tax data leak lashes out

    Bol News journalist Shahid Aslam, talking to the media, has categorically said that he has nothing to do with former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tax data leak.

    The journalist directly blamed Director General (DG) Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Mohsin Butt for picking him up from his house “like a terrorist”. According to him, 20-25 men were sent to pick him up.

    “They [FIA] have mentally tortured me”, Aslam said.

    Aslam alleged that Mohsin Butt was given orders from higher up that he had to bring the journalist in.

    On Monday, a local court in Islamabad sent Aslam to jail on judicial remand.

    Journalist who was allegedly involved in Gen Bajwa’s tax data leak is handed over to FIA

    On Saturday, Aslam was sent to a two-day physical remand to FIA over his alleged involvement in this matter.

    Judicial Magistrate Umar Shabbir of the District and Sessions court announced the decision to hand over the journalist to the agency. During the proceedings, the reporter denied all charges against him, saying that there is no evidence against him.

    However, the prosecutor said the proof is in Aslam’s mobile phone and laptop, which he is not providing to the investigators. He claimed the journalist played the role of “facilitator” in the leak.

    Earlier that day, the agency arrested Aslam from Lahore and produced him in court.

    In November, a report by investigative news website FactFocus accused the army chief and his family of amassing assets worth Rs12.7 billion over the past six years. FactFocus has claimed that after the publication of the story, the traffic on its site was “disrupted” and the website had been “banned”.

    At the time, Finance minister Ishaq Dar had said that the leak was “clearly violative of the complete confidentiality of tax information that the law provides”.

    He also shared that he has received the interim report related to the leak of Gen (retd) Bajwa’s income tax records, adding that the authorities had traced some of the people involved in the act.

  • SBP asks banks to prioritise import of certain essential items to help businesses

    SBP asks banks to prioritise import of certain essential items to help businesses

    In order to help businesses, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday removed the necessity for prior import approval and asked banks to give priority to the importation of certain necessities, including food, medicine, and energy.

    The business community, including various trade bodies and chambers of commerce, has drawn attention to the fact that many shipping containers carrying imported goods are stuck at the ports as a result of delays in the release of shipping documents by banks, according to a statement issued by the SBP on Monday.

    “SBP has advised banks to provide one-time facilitation to all those importers who could either extend their payment terms to 180 days (or beyond) or arrange funds from abroad to settle their pending import payments.”

     “Accordingly, till March 31, 2023, banks have been advised to process and release documents of shipments/ goods that have already arrived at a port in Pakistan or have been shipped on or before January 18, 2023,” said the central bank.

    To avoid any future issues, SBP also suggests that clients notify their banks before beginning any import transaction.

    To the dismay of many importers and firms in Pakistan, who cited these constraints as the reason for closing down or curtailing operations, the SBP restricted imports early this year due to low levels of foreign exchange reserves.

    Last week, the business community of the country harshly criticised the SBP’s role in the issue in light of the difficulty in issuing letters of credit.

  • SBP hikes key interest rate by 100 bps to 17%

    SBP hikes key interest rate by 100 bps to 17%

    The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Monday raised the policy rate by 100 basis points to 17 per cent, which is highest since October 1997.

    The MPC of the State Bank convened today with Governor SBP Jameel Ahmad in the chair to announce the first scheduled monetary policy for the calendar year 2023.

    The SBP governor said that the MPC also performed a detailed analysis of the country’s inflation. “The committee believed that a 1 per cent hike [in the interest rate] to anchor inflation was necessary.”

    In November 2022, the MPC raised the policy rate by 100 basis points to a two-decade high of 16 per cent.

    The committee, in its meeting, noted that inflationary pressure was persistent. “It noted that price stability was required to control inflation and maintain the growth rate,” Ahmad said.

    “Our short-term challenges, including current account deficit, remain. There is some delay in the inflows we were expecting due to which our reserves are under pressure.”

    Thirdly, the committee noted the global economic situation, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank’s downgrading of the global economic growth rate and the prevailing uncertainty. “It affects our market directly or indirectly. For example, our exports and remittances are impacted.”

    The Monetary Policy Committee took the decision to raise the policy rate after a detailed analysis of the country’s external and fiscal position, the SBP governor said.

  • PTI decides to take back resignations of remaining MNAs: Asad Umar

    PTI decides to take back resignations of remaining MNAs: Asad Umar

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary-General Asad Umar has said on Monday that 44 party lawmakers have decided to withdraw their resignations from the National Assembly (NA).

    Taking to Twitter, Umar announced that the remaining 44 MNAs of the party, whose resignations are yet to be accepted, have decided to take back their decision to leave the national assembly.

    “An email has been sent to the speaker,” said the PTI leader in his tweet. He also shared the names of the MNAs who have withdrawn their resignations.

    Meanwhile, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said 45 lawmakers had decided to withdraw their resignations so that the party could take back the post of the leader of the Opposition and parliamentary party leader.

    He added that the aim of the move was to get rid of the “fake” NA opposition leader and prevent “turncoats” from voting for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a vote of confidence.

    Following the announcement, the PTI lawmakers staged a sit-in outside the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) headquarters after being barred from entering the speaker’s house.

    However, authorities restricted the MNAs from entering the building by placing barbed wires on the road leading to the ECP.

    The development comes about after the National Assembly Speaker Pervez Ashraf, in a surprise move accepted the resignations of 69 MNAs during the previous week.

  • ‘Not my-self’; wearing Hijab discomforts me, says Iranian chess player

    ‘Not my-self’; wearing Hijab discomforts me, says Iranian chess player

    Iranian chess player Sara Khadem has taken part in an international chess tournament without wearing the hijab.

     As per Iranian Law, it is compulsory for women to wear hijab or cover their head while competing in international tournaments. Sara Khadem has said that she still hopes she will continue representing her homeland in international competitions.

    On September 13 last year in Tehran, Iran, the moral police arrested a 22-years-old woman named Masha Amini from Kurdistan Province for not wearing hijab properly.

    Masha Amini went into a coma when the police assaulted her while she was under arrest. Masha died in the hospital on September 16.

    Sara Khadem’s action is also being seen as support for the protests which have gripped Iran since Amini’s death. Iranian moral police planned to arrest Sara Khadem upon her arrival in the country but the chess player fled to Spain with her husband and 10-month-old son.

    While talking to a Spanish newspaper Sara Khadem said that she is, “not my-self while wearing hijab.” She said that planned to leave Iran after the birth of her son Sam. “I want my son to move freely on roads and play without bothering us. Spain is the only place that pops up in my head and I took refuge here,” she stated.

    Khadem also clarified that she will only wear hijab if there are cameras before an international chess match in Kazakhstan.

    “But I’m not me when I wear hijab. I don’t feel well. So, I decided to put an end to that situation. Because of this, I have decided not to wear the hijab anymore,” she said.

  • ‘The fault in our taars’; Electricity will come and go but Pakistan’s meme game will stay

    ‘The fault in our taars’; Electricity will come and go but Pakistan’s meme game will stay

    Pakistanis woke up to a nationwide power breakdown and utter confusion regarding about what is going on. But don’t worry, we got you covered.
    According to a statement released by the Energy Minister, the power outrage has gripped parts of Pakistan , begun when the country’s National Grid went out at 7: 30 am, “causing a widespread breakdown in the power system”, as per the tweet.

    But if the lights are down, it means more meme material for Pakistanis. Any time a national crisis takes place, find your refuge on Twitter, among some of the hilarious reactions churning out since this morning.

    Group chat is on fire today

    https://twitter.com/Usman27849070/status/1617406619289092096?s=20&t=CSjykoQlY4PN1IUUQrX4Vg

    Ok that’s harsh

    https://twitter.com/penduProduction/status/1617420137904095233?s=20&t=CSjykoQlY4PN1IUUQrX4Vg

    Happy ghum hour everyone

  • Jemima Goldsmith shares the inspiration behind film ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’

    Jemima Goldsmith shares the inspiration behind film ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’

    Screenwriter and producer Jemima Goldsmith has revealed that she came upon the idea to make the film ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ after living in Pakistan and observing arranged marriage committees, which would look for spouses for people.

    “The film kind of started as a joke with my friends who were in their thirties, when i came back to the UK after having lived in Pakistan in those years,” Jemima said on Australian show Project TV.
    “My ex-husband’s family is quite conservative so I lived in a joint family household. I lived with his father, his sisters, their husbands and kids. There were about 24 of us, living under the same house, and all our kids,” she revealed about her marriage to former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Jemima and the cricket hero divorced in _ after __ years of marriage.
    “I did get to see arranged marriages up close, long term ones and ones that were arranged that I was on the committee for. And some of them were like surprisingly, to me, with my pre-conceptions, happy and successful. So when I came back in my thirties, my friends were at the point where they were hoping to settle down, have kids, get married, maybe not get married. We would say if you had seen functional parents..who would they choose for you and would it work? And it became a conversation point, and I think there’s quite a lot to be said for like simmer then boil and walking into love or falling in love. And the idea that they always used to say ‘Love comes at the end of the beginning of marriage’, which is a completely different point of view,” she said.
    Jemima also described the film as ‘the rom-com Pakistan’, showing the colorful, vibrant side of the country that Western audiences don’t often see on the screen
    “It’s the rom-com Pakistan aside from the darkness of politics. It’s the jazz-hands version of Pakistan. Which is nice to show because you don’t often kind to see the colorful, vibrant Pakistan we’re much more used to seeing Pakistanis and Pakistan as a kind of darker place on our screens particularly in the US and the UK.. So it’s nice to show the version of Pakistan that I grew to love.”

    ‘What’s Love Got To Do With?’ releases in cinemas on 24th February.

    You can watch the full interview below:

  • Millions in Pakistan without electricity after countrywide outage

    Millions in Pakistan without electricity after countrywide outage

    Millions of Pakistanis were left without electricity on Monday due to a nationwide power outage, which threatened to unleash chaos in the South Asian country, which is already experiencing fuel shortages during the winter.

    The country’s Ministry of Energy said in a statement the country’s National Grid went down at 7:34 am local time, “causing a widespread breakdown in the power system,” according to initial reports.

    “System maintenance work is progressing rapidly,” the statement added.

    A “limited number of grids” in Islamabad and Peshawar have had power restored, the ministry said.

    The duration of the power outage is unknown, but attempts are being made to bring power back to various areas of the country.

    The disruption occurs as the country’s frail economy continues to face numerous difficulties, including a serious energy crisis.

    Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered all federal agencies to cut their energy use by 30 per cent. In addition, his administration mandated that all stores and restaurants close at 8:30 pm.

  • Gas crisis to worsen in Pakistan as Italy-based supplier refuses to deliver LNG cargo in February

    Gas crisis to worsen in Pakistan as Italy-based supplier refuses to deliver LNG cargo in February

    The Italian LNG trading company ENI has intimated that it won’t be able to deliver its LNG cargo scheduled on February 6, which might cause the gas situation in Pakistan to worsen in the coming days.

    The report has troubled the senior officials in the Petroleum Division since the country is already suffering from a severe gas shortage, with some major cities getting little to no gas pressure.

    In accordance with its petrol load management strategy, the government assured home users a supply of gas for cooking during the winter months for three hours from 6 am to 9 am, two hours from 12 pm to 2 pm for lunch, and three hours from 6 pm to 9 pm for dinner.

    According to authorities, the effect of ENI’s disengagement will be seen as a reduction in supplies to the power sector and the non-availability of the anticipated 325mmcfd supply for the sector next month.

    End users will receive expensive electricity as boiler oil-based electricity’s reliance grows. The captive power plants will be delivered gas at 50 per cent and supply to fertiliser plants, compressed natural gas (CNG) and local industry shall remain discontinued.

    The Petroleum Division had earlier asserted that the ENI will not default starting in January 2023, however, this is untrue.

    The February supply setback is due to an occurrence of Force Majeure, according to an ENI representative, who also confirmed the news, saying that ENI is not in any way benefited from the circumstance.

    According to The News, ENI defaulted five times last year, failing to deliver LNG cargoes in the months of March, May, July, September, and November.

  • ‘Deeply disrespectful act’: Swedish PM condemns desecration of Holy Quran

    Swedish Prime Minister (PM) Ulf Kristersson has condemned the abhorrent act of desecration of the Holy Quran in Stockholm.

    On Saturday, far-right politician Rasmus Paludan set fire to a copy of the Holy Quran in front of the Turkish embassy.

    PM Kristersson reacted to the abhorrent incident, tweeting: “Freedom of expression is a fundamental part of democracy. But what is legal is not necessarily appropriate. Burning books that are holy to many is a deeply disrespectful act.”

    “I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims who are offended by what has happened in Stockholm,” he said.

    Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif has also condemned the incident.

    In a tweet, the Premier said: “No words are enough to adequately condemn the abhorrable act of desecration of the Holy Quran by a right-wing extremist in Sweden.”

    Shehbaz emphasised that “the garb of freedom of expression” was used to hurt the religious sentiments of the 1.5 billion Muslims across the world, calling the act “unacceptable”.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan also condemned the incident as he highlighted the steps his government took against Islamophobia.