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Author: News Desk

  • ‘Cancel your political engagements’: Nawaz Sharif directs party to help flood victims

    ‘Cancel your political engagements’: Nawaz Sharif directs party to help flood victims

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif urged the nation and directed his party leaders to come forward and help the flood affectees.

    “I will also request all PML-N MNAs and MPAs to cancel their political and other engagements and put all your energies into helping the flood victims,” said Sharif on Sunday (August 28).

    He highlighted that thousands of people have died and millions are left homeless and repeatedly urged the people to help the victims generously.

    Nawaz has also appealed to set up relief camps for flood affectees and has asked to provide them with tents to ensure shelter.

    Nawaz praised his brother Shehbaz Sharif’s efforts as prime minister who “has completely focused on providing relief to the victims and has cancelled all of his engagements”.

    “Together PM Shehbaz and Maryam will hold the hands of all affectees,” he added.

    The government warned on Sunday that the number of people affected by the devastating floods may cross 33 million.

    The death toll due to floods across Pakistan has reached 1,061.

    Maryam Nawaz visited Taunsa today (Monday) to meet the flood victims.

    https://twitter.com/pmln_org/status/1564183626471931904?s=20&t=BcJm6g7Pwx1zuB6R_nedqA

  • Leaked audio: PTI’s Shaukat Tarin allegedly advising finance ministers in Punjab, KP to sabotage IMF deal

    Leaked audio: PTI’s Shaukat Tarin allegedly advising finance ministers in Punjab, KP to sabotage IMF deal

    In a leaked audio, former Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin allegedly asked Punjab Finance Minister Mohsin Leghari and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Minister Taimur Jhagra to write letters withdrawing from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) deal.

    ‘You need to say now that we will not be able to honour our commitment’: Shaukat Tarin

    In one leaked audio, Tarin can be heard asking Leghari to tell the IMF that the commitment Punjab made was pre-floods and now the province “cannot honour it” due to massive losses caused by the floods.

    Tarin told Leghari to draft a letter and send it to him for review so it could be sent to the federal government and later on to the IMF representative in Pakistan.

    “You have signed a Rs750 billion [surplus] commitment with the IMF. You now need to tell them that the commitment you made was before the floods, and now [Punjab] has to spend a lot of funds for [the] floods [rehabilitation].”

    “You need to say now that ‘we will not be able to honour our commitment’,” Tarin said.

    The former FM further told Leghari that this is all he [Imran Khan] wants – for pressure to increase on the incumbent government.

    Leghari questioned if this move will affect the state and will Pakistan as a state suffer if the Punjab government does what is being asked to do so?

    “Well, frankly isn’t the state already suffering because of the way they are treating your chairman [Imran Khan] and everybody else? IMF will definitely ask them: where will you get the money from now?” Tarin responded.

    Tarin further said that the party could not bear being mistreated. “We cannot be blackmailed,” Tarin said.

    “This is what was decided yesterday, however, whether we will be releasing this to IMF or not we will ask the chairman,” revealed the former FM.

    ‘By the way, this is a blackmailing tactic’: Taimur Jhagra

    In another leaked audio conversation between Tarin and Jhagra, Tarin asked Jhagra if he had written the letter.

    “I am on the way. I have the previous letter. I will send the letter to you after drafting it,” replied Jhagra.

    Read more: Jhagra responds after Miftah accuses KP govt of jeopardising IMF deal

    “First point [of the letter] would be that we need huge financial aid for restoration of infrastructure and rehabilitation of flood affectees,” Tarin tells the KP finance minister.

    “By the way, this is a blackmailing tactic,” he admitted.

    PTI’s finance minister in KP, Jhagra further said that he knows the number two guy at IMF and he can send the letter to him. He also revealed that he had been in contact with the IMF person and that he had been getting information from him.

    Read more: IMF Executive Board meeting to discuss revival of loan plan today

    It is pertinent to mention here that the IMF executive board will meet today (August 29), to discuss the bailout plan for Pakistan.

    The 8th and 9th tranches, totaling over $1.2 billion, are anticipated to be disbursed with board approval.

  • Fresh pairing: Bilal Ashraf paired opposite Maya Ali in his television debut

    Fresh pairing: Bilal Ashraf paired opposite Maya Ali in his television debut

    Actor Bilal Ashraf has signed his first drama serial opposite Maya Ali. The duo has started shooting for Hum TV’s upcoming drama, an Ehteshamuddin’s directorial Yunhi.

    Maya Ali

    Bilal announced the same on his instagram handle.

    Although the Janaan star did a telefilm, Ek Hai Nigaar co-starring Mahira Khan, earlier this year on ARY Digital, Yunhi marks his drama debut.

    Recently Bilal and Maya appeared together in a fashion film for HSY’s  latest bespoke couture collection Khayaal and the fresh reel couple is oozing crackling chemistry.

     They were recently seen in Ahsan Khan’s chat show, Timeout With Ahsan Khan.

    They also appeared together in Quetta Gladiators official anthem. Their camaraderie has been appreciated by netizens as they don’t shy away from indulging in fun banter on social media.

  • ‘Great Spirit’: Twitter praises Naseem Shah for bowling despite cramps

    ‘Great Spirit’: Twitter praises Naseem Shah for bowling despite cramps

    Young pacer Naseem Shah made his debut in the high-pressure Pakistan-India match yesterday. He managed to get 2 wickets and took KL Rahul’s important wicket for zero in the first over.

    He later returned and dismissed Suryakumar Yadav for 18.

    What won the hearts of millions of cricket fans was the fact that the young pacer, despite cramps, completed his last over. He was having a hard time due to cramps. However, he did not give up and completed his last over.

    Here is how Twitter celebrated Naseem Shah:

    https://twitter.com/AhmadKh48664381/status/1564006103775592453

    India won the match by 5 wickets but Pakistani pacers gave Indian players some hard time.

    Pakistan cricket team skipper Babar Azam applauded young Naseem but missed Shaheen Shah Afridi.

    “Naseem Shah’s performance was outstanding, though we missed the presence of Shaheen Shah Afridi,” said Babar

    Babar Azam further said that Naseem’s performance made the last part of the game tough for the opposite side and interesting. However, “we were 10 to 15 runs short.”

    Pakistan will be playing its second match at the Asia Cup against Hong Kong on September 2 (Friday) at 7pm.

  • Floods in Pakistan: Death toll reaches 1,136

    Floods in Pakistan: Death toll reaches 1,136

    The death toll from the devastating floods in Pakistan has reached 1,136. According to the data issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA),402 people have lost their lives in Sindh, 244 in Balochistan and 258 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    Read more- Flood Emergency: Here is how you can help

    The federal and provincial governments are currently providing assistance to the displaced families and now the international community has also poured in their support.

    Read more- World leaders extend their support to Pakistan’s flood affectees

    The locals are concerned that the standing water may spread waterborne diseases.

    Read more- What caused Pakistan’s greatest flood in a decade?

  • IMF Executive Board meeting to discuss revival of loan plan today

    IMF Executive Board meeting to discuss revival of loan plan today

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) executive board will meet on Monday (today) to discuss the bailout plan for Pakistan.

    The 8th and 9th tranches, totaling over $1.2 billion, are anticipated to be disbursed with board approval.

    According to Geo, Pakistan also requested that the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) be increased from $6 billion to $7 billion and that the term be extended from September 2022 to June 2023.

    If the contract is approved by the board, the IMF will give Pakistan an initial payment of roughly $1.2 billion and could give up to $4 billion during the remaining months of the current fiscal year, which started on July 1.

    The board gave its approval for the transfer of $1.386 billion to Pakistan under the RFI in April 2020 to help with the economic effects of the Covid-19 shock.

    Additionally, according to The Wall Street Journal, Pakistan has secured at least $37 billion in foreign loans and investments in recent weeks, saving it from a financial catastrophe similar to that of Sri Lanka.

    The restart of the programme will greatly benefit the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as it will assist prevent what would be the second default in Asia this year after Sri Lanka.

    Bloomberg estimates that Pakistan would have to pay at least $3 billion in debt payment during the first half of the fiscal year 2023.

    The State Bank of Pakistan anticipates that foreign exchange reserves would increase to around $16 billion this fiscal year from $7.8 billion, thanks to the IMF loan opening the door for additional funding.

  • Video: Pakistani soldiers play Sidhu Moose Wala’s songs, Indian soldiers dance their hearts out

    Video: Pakistani soldiers play Sidhu Moose Wala’s songs, Indian soldiers dance their hearts out

    Indian singer-politician Sidhu Moose Wala passed away on May 29th this year. He was shot dead in his which had a connection with his famous song, 295 that he created for his enemies. Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar has taken responsibility for his murder, and Lawrence Bishnoi and others are involved. Now his father Balkaur Singh claims his ‘brothers’ turned out to be his enemies.

    A lot has happened ever since Sidhu passed away. A statue has been erected at his cremation site in Mansa and his father inaugurated it. He broke down and even expressed how hard it was to see his son in that form at the age of just 28. Police continue their investigation and several linked to the case have been arrested.

    The Punjabi rapper was very famous for his songs and now those same songs are now bringing cheer across the Indian-Pakistan border. The popularity of his songs is not just restricted to India but his magic also spreads worldwide, and now it has managed to make the two boundaries (India and Pakistan border) bond.

    Recently, Indian IPS officer HGS Dhaliwal shared a heartwarming video on Twitter. In the video, Indian Army personnel are seen grooving to Sidhu Moose Wala’s Bambiha Bole, which was being played on speakers by Pakistani soldiers across the border.

    The IPS officer captioned his post, “Sidhu’s songs playing across the border! bridging the divide!”

    The sight of it was indeed delightful to see!

  • PCB to donate earnings from match against England to flood victims

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that gate earnings from the first T20I against England will be donated to the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund 2022.

    The match will be played on September 20 at the National Stadium in Karachi and will begin at 7:30pm (local time).

    The PCB has urged cricket supporters and fans to buy tickets in large quantities once they go on sale online the following week in order to show solidarity with all those affected by the floods.

     “We at the PCB express our grief and sorrow for all those affected by the extreme monsoon rainfall and floods, which has ​resulted in havoc and devastation beyond imagination, killing over 1,000 and leaving around a million homeless. As cricket unites our proud nation, we stand firmly with the victims and all those involved in​ the flood relief and rescue operations,” said PCB chairman Ramiz Raja in a statement.

    According to the data issued by the National Disaster Management Authority(NDMA), at least 1,033 people have died in floods caused by heavy rains in the country.

  • FBR establishes new section to investigate corrupt tax officials

    In order to ensure the prompt resolution of all disciplinary cases and inquiries against tax employees engaged in corruption and dishonest activities in field formations, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) established a new Section on Friday called “Discipline/Inquiries.”

    A new Section with the nomenclature “Discipline/Inquiries” is hereby created in the Admn/HR Wing, FBR (HQ), Islamabad with immediate effect in order to ensure proper follow-up of all disciplinary cases/inquiries of officers (BS-16 and above) of FBR (HQ) and IR field formations with a view to ensuring timely disposal of such cases, according to an office order issued by the FBR on Friday.

    According to Brecoder, a secretary or second secretary who works for the specified Section will be in charge and reporting to the Chief (HRM-IR), FBR.

    The FBR has also been ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to fully abide by the guidelines of the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020 when taking disciplinary action and conducting investigations against dishonest tax officers.

    The FBR chairman has directed the Revenue Division/FBR to rigorously adhere to the following instructions in all disciplinary processes and inquiries launched against the officers, in accordance with the directives of the prime minister:

    The Civil Servants (Efficiency & Discipline) Rules, 2020, Rule 10 read with Rule 12 shall govern how the chosen inquiry officer would conduct the inquiry processes. The same must be finished within sixty (60) days of the date the inquiry order was issued, or within any further time the authority may provide.

    All Directors General, Chief Commissioners, Chief Collectors, Commissioners, and Collectors of FBR shall keep the relevant case record in safe custody while forwarding the recommendation to begin disciplinary proceedings against any officer(s) or official in order to ensure safe custody of the record in an inquiry.

    In accordance with the guidelines outlined in Rule 8 of the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020, all heads of field offices shall also see to it that pertinent records of the case and other related documents are timely provided to the inquiry officer or the inquiry committee, as the case may be, through the designated departmental representative (DR). This must be done within seven days of the date of the inquiry order.

  • History of Pakistan vs India matches at Asia Cup

    History of Pakistan vs India matches at Asia Cup

    The cricket rivalry between Pakistan and India is known as the greatest rivalry in the world of cricket. Today, the two sides will meet once again at Asia Cup 2022.

    Pakistan and India have played 14 matches in Asia Cup since 1984. India won 8 out of the 14 matches played in total while Pakistan won five. One match ended without a result as it was rained out.

    Here is the list of Pakistan vs India matches in Asia Cup.

    1984:

    India beat Pakistan by 54 runs while Surinder Khanna was the Man of the Match; he scored 56 runs on 72 balls.

    1988:

    India once again beat Pakistan by 4 wickets. Pakistan scored 142 while India chased the target in 40.4 overs with 4 wickets in hand. Arshad Ayub was Man of the Match.

    1995:

    Pakistan broke its losing streak and defeated India by 97 runs. Aqib Javed was Man of the Match with his magical bowling spell with five wickets to his name.

    1997:

    Match was abandoned because of rain.

    2000:

    Pakistan maintained its wining streak and beat India by 44 runs. Mouhammad Yousuf became Man of the Match by scoring a century on 112 balls. Pakistan scored 295 for the loss of 7 while India managed to score 251 in chase.

    2004:

    Pakistan won the match by 59 runs. Shoaib Malik was Man of the Match. He scored 143 on 127 with 2 wickets.

    2008 Group Stage:

    India beat Pakistan by 6 wickets. Suresh Raina became Man of the Match by scoring 84 runs on 69 balls with 2 wickets to his name. Virender Sehwag also played an outstanding innings of 119 on 95 balls.

    2008 Super 4s:

    Pakistan won by 8 wickets with Younis Khan getting Player of the Match award. His outstanding knock of 123 on 117 helped Pakistan achieve a huge target of 308.

    2010:

    India beat Pakistan by 3 wickets with 1 ball remaining. India chased 267 while Gautam Gambhir became Man of the Match by scoring 83 on 97 balls.

    2012:

    India beat Pakistan by 6 wickets. Pakistan scored 329 while India managed to chase in 47.5 overs. Kohli got the Player of the Match award by scoring 183 on 148 balls.

    2014:

    Pakistan won by 1 wicket. This match took a lot of turns. In the final over, Pakistan needed 9 runs in the last over with 2 wickets in hand. Pakistan lost their ninth wicket on Ashwin’s first ball. On the next ball, Junaid khan took a single followed by two maximums by Afridi. Hafeez became Man of the Match with 75 runs and two wickets to his name.

    2016:

    India beat Pakistan by five wickets. This was the first T20I edition of Asia Cup. India defeated Pakistan with Kohli scoring 49 on 51 balls.

    2018 Group Stage:

    India won with eight wickets in hand. Pakistan scored 162 while India achieved that target in 29 overs.

    2018 Super 4s:

    India once again defeated Pakistan with a tremendous knock of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma of 114 and 111 respectively.