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Author: News Desk

  • Azam Swati granted bail in case of controversial tweets

    Azam Swati granted bail in case of controversial tweets

    A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Friday granted post-arrest bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati in a case related to controversial tweets against Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    Special Judge Central, Raja Asif Mehmood, announced the verdict today which was reserved a day ago. The court directed Swati to deposit surety bonds worth Rs10,000.

    PTI senator Azam Swati was taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Agenc’s (FIA) Cybercrime Wing (CCW) from his home in Islamabad on October 13 after registering a case against him over the tweets.

    In his concluding arguments, Swati’s counsel Baber Awan said that his client had used the right of freedom of expression through his tweet.

    Swati was tortured and humiliated during the custody, Awan alleged.

    After listening to arguments, the court reserved the decision and adjourned the case till today.

    Swati had tweeted, “Mr Bajwa congratulations to you and few with you. Your plan is really working and all criminals are getting free at cost of this country. With these thugs getting free, you have legitimised corruption. How you predict now the future of this country (sic).”

    Swati said that he was arrested for “taking one name — of Bajwa — and that is the violation”.

  • ‘Qanoon ke saamnay sar jhukay’: PM and others react to IK’s disqualification

    ‘Qanoon ke saamnay sar jhukay’: PM and others react to IK’s disqualification

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday disqualified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan under Article 63(1)(p) of the constitution in the Toshakhana reference.

    Article 63 (1)(p) of the Constitution states that an individual is, “for the time being, disqualified from being elected or chosen as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament) or of a provincial assembly under any law for the time being in force”.

    According to the verdict, criminal proceedings will be initiated against Imran for misdeclaration.

    A four-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, unanimously announced the verdict. The PTI chairman is no more a member of the National Assembly.

    The commission stated that Imran Khan submitted a false affidavit and was found involved in corrupt practices in the reference.

    Following the announcement, Khan’s party leaders and the coalition government parties reacted to this major ruling.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif said that PTI should refrain from violence and bow its head before the law.

    “The Election Commission did justice in the Toshakhana reference. The nation has seen that the post of Prime Minister has been made a source of personal income through corrupt practices. The idol of honesty and trust was shattered,” the premier added.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz spoke to the media in London. She said, “Khan is Pakistan’s first certified liar with irrefutable evidence of theft.”

    She added that after this verdict criminal proceedings should start against Khan and he should be punished for his theft.

    Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that Khan has been caught “red-handed”. In a tweet, he stated: “He who would spread lies about the alleged corruption of his political opponents has been caught red-handed.”

    The former planning minister, Asad Umar, made an announcement, saying: “The decision will be challenged in court. The dream of ‘minus Imran Khan’ will never come true.”

    Umar’s party mate Fawad Chaudhry asked the people to come out of their houses for their rights.

    He called the ECP’s ruling a “slap on the face of 220 million people”.

    “Not just anyone cannot disqualify Imran Khan. Only the public can do that,” the PTI leader said.

    He alleged that today’s verdict was “written by Nawaz Sharif and signed by his servants”.

    Alongside him, PTI leader Shahbaz Gill said the PTI would approach “every forum” against the verdict. “Imran has been disqualified from just one seat, not politics,” he added.

    Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman, took to Twitter to say that Imran Khan’s disqualification case is no different as he is not the only one who has been disqualified.

    In a series of tweets, she said, “Those who claim to bring a neutral umpire want the umpire to decide in their favour, otherwise the decision will not be accepted.”

  • Son thrown into Nile river by his mother returns after 22 years

    Son thrown into Nile river by his mother returns after 22 years

    Unaware that he would come back as a young man searching for his father, a lady dropped her infant, named “Islam,” into the Nile River with the intention of getting rid of him.

    Although the incident took place in Egypt 22 years ago, it was recently made public.

    According to Egyptian media, the mother allegedly threw her son into the Nile River because he was an illegitimate child that she had with an unidentified man. He was saved by fisherman after she threw him and they took him to an orphanage where he stayed until he was a young man.

    After a number of years, the mother believed she had finally atoned for her mistake, but Islam discovered the circumstances surrounding his adoption and began looking for his biological parents.

    He ran into his aunt, who told him what his mother had done and showed him the way to her residence in Tanta. Islam went back to his aunt and stayed with her in her home because the mother had left as soon as she heard about his visit.

    He persisted in trying to find his father despite the mother’s repeated attempts to elude him and her threats to have him from her path, particularly when he received a call from an unknown person who revealed his parents’ identities to him.

    After finding his father, Islam claimed that his mother phoned him live on local television and expressed her want to see him.

  • ECP verdict: PTI Chairman Imran Khan disqualified

    ECP verdict: PTI Chairman Imran Khan disqualified

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in a consensus verdict, disqualified former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and ruled that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman is no more a member of the National Assembly (NA).

    Khan is disqualified under Article 63(1)(p) for misdeclaration.

    Article 63 (1) (p) of the Constitution states that an individual is, “for the time being, disqualified from being elected or chosen as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament) or of a provincial assembly under any law for the time being in force”.

    What happened today?

    A four-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, announced the verdict at the ECP Secretariat in Islamabad.

    The decision was taken unanimously by the five-member bench. However, the member from Punjab was not present for today’s announcement.

    According to the verdict, criminal proceedings will be initiated against Imran for misdeclaration.

    The verdict was announced amid tight security in the Red Zone where at least 1,100 police officials were deployed under the command of a senior superintendent of police to control the law and order situation in the area. The officer was assisted by five superintendents and six deputy superintendents of police.

    Ahead of the verdict, PTI leaders intensified their criticism of the ECP, repeating their allegations of the electoral watchdog being partial against them.

    What is the case?

    The ECP had reserved its verdict in the Toshakhana case on September 19 after arguments were completed from both sides. A five-member bench of the ECP, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, heard the case.

    In August 2022, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf sent a reference to the ECP under Articles 62A, 63A, and 223, seeking former prime minister Imran Khan’s disqualification in the light of the Toshakhana scam.

    The disqualification reference was filed by Ali Gohar Khan, PML-N’s Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha, and five others.

    The 28-page reference identified 52 gift items of Toshakhana received by the former prime minister Khan, violating the law and rules, taken away at nominal prices and most of the gifts were sold in the market, including some precious watches.

    The assessed value of the gifts has been put at Rs 142,042,100. The gifts were received between August 2018 and December 2021.

    What is Toshakhana?

    Established in 1974, the Tosha­khana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.

    According to Toshakhana rules, gifts/presents and other such materials received by persons to whom these rules apply shall be reported to the Cabinet Division.

  • Japan’s consumer inflation hits 8-year high

    Japan’s consumer inflation hits 8-year high

    According to official data released on Friday, Japan’s core consumer prices increased 3.0 per cent year over year in September, the highest level since 2014 as households were hard-hit by the weakening yen and rising energy prices.

    According to Reuters, the statistic raises inflation considerably above the Bank of Japan’s long-term 2.0 per cent target, even when volatile fresh food prices are excluded. The central bank’s claim that the present rises do not yet fulfil its criteria for persistent price growth is supported by the fact that the figure was only 1.8 per cent when energy costs were excluded.

    The most recent data was in line with market forecasts, but when similar data was last seen, a VAT increase had artificially inflated prices. The rate of inflation in September was the highest in nearly 31 years, excluding years when tax increases had an impact on the rate.

    “The bulk of the price increases at the moment are rises in raw material prices,” while service prices associated with wages have not seen meaningful increases, Taro Saito, an economist at NLI Research Institute, said in a note released before the data.

    He projected that stabilising inflation in Japan will take longer time to achieve due to pay rises and rising service costs.

    The BoJ believes the present price hikes are related to extraordinary occurrences like the conflict in Ukraine, whereas other central banks have chosen to raise interest rates to combat skyrocketing inflation.

    It has persisted in its ultra-loose monetary policy and refrained from raising rates, claiming that the third-largest economy in the world has not yet attained the inflation target of 2.0 per cent that it believes is required to accelerate growth.

    The yen has fallen, especially against the dollar, as a result of the widening gap between the bank’s policy and other rate increases. The yen dropped to 150 versus the dollar on Thursday, the lowest level since 1990.

  • Mahenoor Soomro breaks silence on alleged wedding with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

    Mahenoor Soomro breaks silence on alleged wedding with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

    Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s marriage rumours with PPP leader Ruqia Khanum Soomro’s grand daughter, Mahenoor Soomro, has been doing the rounds since the last few days. The rumours started after multiple publications shared the news about their alleged wedding.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxTKP3BL9H8

    However Mahenoor has now put an end to the speculation with a Tweet.

    https://twitter.com/mahenoor28/status/1583084725044154371?s=46&t=Gsmmf1nNBHTZ_-a21evLZA

    Soomro tweeted, “Kindly avoid spreading fake news regarding my marriage. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is my party leader and PPP is family to all jiyalas! Thank you.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEa7cv11Fb0&t=27s

    Mahenoor Soomro’s family is involved in politics, and her forebears have worked for PPP.

    Mahnoor Soomro

    Last month, Bilawal faced questions about his marriage during his United Nations General Assembly visit.

    In a clip doing rounds on social media, a journalist of a foreign publication was heard asking Bilawal, ‘There are my Pakistani friends asking if you have any plans to marry.’

    Bhutto scion, who was seen in a jovial mood, answered the most-asked question. ‘Of course, I have plans to marry, he said hurriedly without delving into more details’.

    When the journalist asked about the exact time, PPP Chairman moved away, saying ‘I’m in rush’.

  • ‘I am the biggest fan’: Sargun Mehta reveals her favourite Pakistani dramas

    ‘I am the biggest fan’: Sargun Mehta reveals her favourite Pakistani dramas

    Bollywood and Pollywood actor Sargun Mehta has confessed about her obsession with Pakistani dramas in her latest interview.

    The Qismat star listed some of her all-time favorite Pakistani dramas in her recent interview. Her favorites were Meray Paas Tum Ho and Raqeeb Se.

    Was Humayun Saeed Satisfied With Mere Paas Tum Ho's Ending | Reviewit.pk
    Raqeeb Se Episode 22: The Brilliance of This Show Is Emotionally Exhausting - The Brown Identity

    She said,” I am the biggest fan of Pakistani dramas. I always keep a list and finish Pakistani dramas in three or maximum four days. My top of the list is Mere Paas Tum Ho, which I have already watched thrice. I love Raqeeb Se, the drama is ahead of its time and written beautifully.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEa7cv11Fb0&t=27s

    On the work front, Sargun is gearing up for the release of Babe Bhangra Paunde Ne co-starring Diljit Dosanjh and Sohail Ahmed.

    Sohail Ahmed is making his Punjabi film debut in Babe Bhangra Paunde Ne - Film & TV - Images
  • ADB set to approve $1.5 billion loan for Pakistan today

    ADB set to approve $1.5 billion loan for Pakistan today

    A $1.5 billion programme loan for Pakistan is slated to be approved by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday (today) as part of the BRACE (Building Resilience with Active Countercyclical Expenditure) programme.

    According to Geo, the Board of the ADB will meet in Manila to discuss whether to approve a $1.5 billion programme loan for Pakistan. It is anticipated that this loan will be disbursed after receiving permission next week, assisting Islamabad in replenishing its depleting foreign exchange reserves.

    Additionally, it is anticipated that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will approve $500 million in co-financing, bringing the total distribution to $2 billion for the current month.

    With a projected current account deficit of $10 to $12 billion and an external debt servicing obligation of $22.9 billion, Pakistan needs $34 billion for the current fiscal year. On the flip side, the terrible floods made the already bad situation with the economy even worse.

    Pakistan suffered losses of $32.4 billion, according to the group of international donors, which also included the World Bank, ADB, UNDP, and EU. Pakistan also needed $16.2 billion for building expenditures.

    An official document states that the $1.5 billion BRACE programme loan will assist Pakistan in responding to the deepening macroeconomic crisis exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the catastrophic floods that have affected close to 33 million people. Prior to the latest floods, Pakistani officials had already begun work on this programme loan.

    The amount of countercyclical actions taken by the government to lessen the negative effects of cumulative external shocks, particularly on the poor and vulnerable, comes to around $2.4 billion.

  • Neighbour who went to resolve dispute between husband and wife, killed by husband

    Neighbour who went to resolve dispute between husband and wife, killed by husband

    A domestic dispute between a husband and wife in India ended in the death of their neighbour who came to help resolve the matter.

    The incident took place in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Hearing the loud sounds coming from the house, the neighbour went there to resolve the dispute, returning home once the matter appeared settled.

    However, after a while, the husband went to the neighbour’s house and tortured him to death.

    According to Indian media, the wife objected to cooking mutton on Tuesday over which a fight broke out between the two.

    Many followers of the Hindu religion consider Tuesday the holiest day of the week and try not to cook any meat on that day.

    After the neighbour’s death, the police registered a complaint against the husband on the basis of his wife’s statement. He was arrested on the same day.

  • ‘Chaar saal haath nahin milaya, abb aakay kehtay hain hamaaray sath baat karein’: Shehbaz Sharif

    ‘Chaar saal haath nahin milaya, abb aakay kehtay hain hamaaray sath baat karein’: Shehbaz Sharif

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has said that Imran Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), did not shake hands with the Opposition for four years while he was in power but now he wants to talk.

    Shehbaz Sharif was referring to reports of the government holding talks with the PTI chief.

    The Premier, while addressing an event of the Planning Division, said that he and the government were ready to take tough decisions for the sake of the country and its betterment.

    Without talking Khan’s name, the Prime Minister said, ” You labeled us as thieves and corrupt. Had you taken steps for the betterment of our youth, and introduced innovative programmes for their improvement, I would be standing here and praising you instead.”

    Accusing the former prime minister of dividing the country, Shehbaz Sharif said that this is not how great nations are made. “For four years, you said you don’t want to shake hands with the Opposition, but now, in present times and conditions, you say that we should talk,” said the prime minister.

    “For how long will this duplexity continue? For the national interest [of the country] we are ready [to hold talks]. I am not going into details here, but what I am saying here is that I am ready to give any sacrifice for my country,” he stated.

    Journalist Saleem Safi has also revealed that the PTI Chairman Imran Khan has sent a message to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Shairf.

    “They contacted Nawaz Sharif,” Safi said about PTI. “Imran Khan sent a message to Nawaz Sharif to team up against the establishment. However, Nawaz Sharif did not accept the proposal,” said Safi while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Report Card.’

    “Khan Saab sent a messenger to Nawaz Sharif, you heard this in Khan’s [leaked audio] as well that no matter what happens, whether it is fair, legal or illegal, so he will continue to do such things. He will continue to blackmail,” stated Safi.

    When the anchor asked what was the message sent to the elder Sharif, Safi replied, “The message was that we two should shake hands, including [Asif Ali] Zardari and that we all team up against the establishment. However, he [Sharif] rejected the offer.”