Author: News Desk

  • PM Shehbaz Sharif to host dinner for PML-N and coalition party MNAs

    PM Shehbaz Sharif to host dinner for PML-N and coalition party MNAs

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has invited the MNAs of coalition parties to dinner at Prime Minister’s Office tonight (June 27).

    Members of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and coalition parties will attend the dinner, where the current political situation and matters related to the budget for fiscal year 2022-23 will be discussed.

    Earlier this month, former President Asif Ali Zardari hosted a dinner for leaders and members of the coalition government. During the dinner, Zardari was also lauded by the coalition leaders and members for his efforts to unite the parties together. PM Shehbaz who was also in attendance received advice from members and leaders present at the dinner.

  • Man caught installing spy device in Khan’s bedroom

    Man caught installing spy device in Khan’s bedroom

    Staff at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s Bani Gala residence on Saturday night caught a man red-handed while installing a spy device in his bedroom.

    ARY News reported that an employee of Bani Gala was paid to install a device in the former prime minister’s bedroom. However, the spying attempt was foiled after another employee informed the security team about the installation of the device.

    PTI leader and the chief of staff of the former premier, Dr Shahbaz Gill, handed over the suspect, an employee of Bani Gala, to the police.

    Shahbaz Gill claimed, “An employee – who cleans the former premier’s room – was paid to install a spy device,” terming the act ‘ heinous and unfortunate’.

    “Our people are being threatened to get information. Such shameful acts should be avoided,” he added. The PTI leader further said that the ‘arrested’ employee has made several revelations – which he refused to share at the moment.

    Many from PTI have been asserting that Imran Khan’s life is in danger. “In this regard, we have informed all relevant agencies, including the government,” Gill said.

    However, Islamabad police said that a media person had handed over the alleged spy to the police but the suspect was not able to speak properly.

    “The suspect could not be identified as he cannot speak properly. It has been decided that a medical test will be conducted on him to ascertain his physical and mental condition. The suspect was kept in Bani Gala house for a day. The person who handed over the suspect to the police has not provided any evidence or proof of spying. Police are investigating the matter and will soon reach the conclusion,” said the police.

  • NEPRA announces increase of Rs7.90 per unit in power tariff

    NEPRA announces increase of Rs7.90 per unit in power tariff

    An additional increase in the price of power of Rs7.90 per unit was announced by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Monday.

    After hearing the Central Power Purchasing Agency’s (CCPA) argument today, the power regulatory authority made the final hike announcement, according to ARY News.

    It is worth noting that life consumers and K-Electric are protected from the tariff increase and that the amount would be paid in July’s bills.

    In response to a request from CPPAG for a raise of Rs7.96 per unit, the increase was granted under fuel adjustment costs (FAC) for the month of May 2022, according to a notification released by the power regulating authority.

    Additionally, after a substantial increase of Rs7.91 per unit, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority has just set the power rate at Rs24.82 per unit for the fiscal year 2022–23.

    The authority approved a Rs5.27 per unit increase in electricity rates for K-electric customers on June 24.

    According to a handout provided by NEPRA, K-Electric requested an increase in the electricity rate of Rs5.25 to account for fuel adjustment charges for April.

    Earlier, The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet approved an increase in power costs for K-Electric customers of 57 paisa per unit.

    However, ECC deferred making a decision on a different proposal that called for charging K-Electric customers a surcharge of Rs1.45 per unit in order to recover Rs113.1 billion in past-due amounts related to quarterly rate increases. 

  • Surge in Covid-19 cases: CAA re-imposes restrictions

    Surge in Covid-19 cases: CAA re-imposes restrictions

    The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Monday released a fresh travel advisory instructing all relevant authorities to enforce the usage of masks on domestic flights in view of the ongoing surge of Covid-19 cases in Pakistan.

    According to a notification from CAA, all concerned quarters must ensure compliance with the new order. The notification added that the other Covid-19 guidelines on domestic air travel remained unchanged.

    https://twitter.com/official_pcaa/status/1541127874345930759

    According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), 382 cases of Covid-19 with a positivity rate of 2.85 per cent were reported in Pakistan on June 26.

  • Pakistan can generate revenue  by implementing policy on cannabis: Science Ministry

    Pakistan can generate revenue by implementing policy on cannabis: Science Ministry

    According to the secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), Pakistan can bring in $8 billion in revenue within four years by implementing a policy on cannabis.

    As per Minister of Science and Technology, in light of the country’s dire economic situation, Pakistan should “generate revenue through the legal sale of the drug”, Aqib Rauf Abbasi reports for Pro Pakistani.

    The minister stated this during a meeting of the Standing Committe on Science and Technology, which was chaired by Senator Shafiq Tarin.

    The committee considered the possibility that by creating a regulation on cannabis usage, the government could generate $2 billion in income in a couple of months. He added that cabinet has not approved the policy developed by MoST regarding legal use of cannabis.

    The MoST will also initially grant 100 permits for cannabis growing.

  • Gen Bajwa receives medal for his contributions by Saudi Arabia

    Gen Bajwa receives medal for his contributions by Saudi Arabia

    Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, first deputy Prime Minister (PM) and minister of defence, decorated Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa with the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class for making “significant contributions in defence cooperation” between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

    The medal was named after Saudi Arabia’s founding King Abdulaziz Al Saud and is considered the highest civilian honour in KSA. Recently, it was given to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

    Pakistan’s army chief visited Saudi Arabia on an official tour met with the Crown Prince in Jeddah on Saturday. They reviewed bilateral relations, especially in the military fields, and opportunities for developing them. They also discussed a number of issues of common interest.

    Following this, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the COAS for being conferred the honour. “It is a great honour for the people and the armed forces of Pakistan,” he said in a tweet.

    In another tweet, he said Pakistan considers the security of Saudi Arabia “as our own and are completely resolved to further cementing our multifaceted bilateral relationship including excellent defence cooperation”.

    COAS Bajwa meets Musharraf:

    COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa and his wife also paid a visit to former President and Army Chief General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in Dubai, reports emerged on Saturday.

    Gen Qamar and his wife were accompanied by top physicians of the Pakistan Army. They spent some time with Gen Musharraf and his family while the army doctors examined the former military ruler, reports The Express Tribune.

    Earlier this month, Musharraf’s family revealed that he is going through a difficult stage where recovery is not possible as his organs are malfunctioning.

    After this, the establishment and politicians, including Nawaz Sharif, came forward and were of the view that he should be brought back to Pakistan.

  • Pak Suzuki may discontinue Cultus to promote new Swift

    Pak Suzuki may discontinue Cultus to promote new Swift

    One of Pak Suzuki Motor Company’s (PSMC) best-selling vehicles, Suzuki Cultus, will reportedly no longer be produced. According to reports, all variants of the hatchback will be officially phased out in the upcoming months.

    According to Pakwheels, Alto and Swift sales had an impact on Cultus sales, and the company intended to actively promote Swift while boosting Alto sales.

    If the rumours are true, it may be terrible news for those who adore this tiny hatchback since Cultus has long held the top spot in the 1,000cc category.

    According to information from the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA), PSMC sold more than 9,800 Alto in March of this year. In April, the amount fell to 5,000. In May, sales slightly increased to about 5,400.

    It is also worth noting that PSMC has not made any public statements about the development. Once the business issues a formal statement regarding this, PSMC’s response will be added.

    The current generation of Suzuki Cultus was introduced in 2017. The hatchback is available in three variations from PSMC: VX, VXR, and VXL. Since its debut, Cultus has dominated the 1,000cc segment of the home market due to its compact size and impressive fuel economy.

    It is still too early to tell if these rumours are true, as several reports from last month that Pak Suzuki was preparing to reintroduce the Mehran turned out to be false after The Current obtained confirmation from numerous dealerships.

  • FACT CHECK: Disney offers Johnny Depp a staggering PKR 6100 crore for ‘POTC’ sequel?

    FACT CHECK: Disney offers Johnny Depp a staggering PKR 6100 crore for ‘POTC’ sequel?

    Hollywood veteran Johnny Depp has received an apology letter from Disney, requesting him to return to the Pirates Of The Caribbean.

    Owing to the accusations made by actress Amber Heard, Johnny was ousted from Fantastic Beasts 3 and Pirates Of The Caribbean.

    As per an Australian pop culture site Poptopic.com, Disney has now finally apologized to Depp. They reportedly made a heartening gesture and even offered him a whopping $301 million to return as the iconic Jack Sparrow in the next installment of POTC.

    A source close to the publication revealed, “I know corporate sent him a gift basket with a very heartfelt letter, but I’m unsure how it was received. But what I can tell you is that the studio has already penned up a draft for a film about Jack Sparrow, so they are very hopeful that Johnny will forgive them and return as his iconic character.”

    However, there remains no confirmation of the same. In fact, the article has raised doubts as the amount offered by Disney seems to be really close to what Johnny mentioned in the defamation trial.

    If one recalls, Depp had said that he would not return to Pirates Of The Caribbean now even if he was paid a sum of something as huge as $301 million. Furthermore, producers have previously clarified that they have no plans to bring back the veteran actor so far. So this is nothing but just another rumour.

    Depp’s current net worth is over USD 150 million, as he has made some staggering real estate investments which include luxury islands, French villages, and English country homes among others.

    Johnny’s lifestyle is like his persona, larger than life and unbelievably exorbitant.

    Wild history of Johnny Depp's West Hollywood castle

    He has recently spent more than USD 75 million on real estate.

    Here are a few things that constitute Depp’s monthly bills, according to the lawsuit:

    • $30,000 on wine
    • $300,000 on staff, including 40 full-time employees
    • $150,000 on security for himself and his family
    • $200,000 for a private jet

    The Gilbert Grape actor loves to live like a true superstar.

    According to TMG, Depp spent more than $75 million to buy and furnish 14 residences, including an entire village in France. Depp is now trying to unload the town, which features a church, a restaurant and several houses, for $63 million.

    In a January 2017 filing, Depp mismanaged his finances, costing him millions. TMG counterclaimed that Depp dug himself into a financial hole.

  • ‘Qarza le le ke economy sambhali bhi to kya sambhali’: Samina Peerzada slams government

    ‘Qarza le le ke economy sambhali bhi to kya sambhali’: Samina Peerzada slams government

    Veteran actress and host Samina Peerzada took to her Twitter handle to slam the ruling government for taking loans from agencies like The International Monetary (IMF).

    Samina said that “if the government is managing the national economy by taking loans then it’s pointless.”

    Earlier this month the Judaai actor tweeted an appreciation post for former PM Imran Khan.

    The Mera Naseeb star said that if Imran comes back into power, people from around the globe would contribute money which will help Pakistan get rid of its economic crises.

    She also mentioned that she trusts Khan’s honesty and values.

    Recently actor Shahroz Sabzwari appeared in an interview with his pregnant supermodel wife Sadaf Kanwal. On being asked about his political stance, the Nand star stated that former Prime Minister Imran Khan is stronger than ever and after what has happened to him, he is dangerous.

    The Teri Raah Mein hero added, “My father has fed me halal rizq, so it isn’t possible for me to not follow Imran Khan. There can be no two ways about this.”

    Elaborating on his admiration for the PTI chairman, the actor added, “He is an honest and clear man. He has just learned politics, now people should fear his comeback. This was his first time in power, the others have been in politics a long time. The big people who are against him, even they agree that Imran Khan is more dangerous to the opposition because now he will engage in the correct politics.”

    On his belief in IK’s ability to steer the nation towards a better future, the Nand actor continued, “No one else can take Pakistan forward and make it Riyasat e Madina other than Imran Khan. If you have the tiniest bit of honour, it’s not possible for you to follow anyone other than him.”

    IK was ousted following a vote of no confidence, leading to an outpour of support for the former PM. Many celebrities have openly expressed their support for IK, including Syra Yousuf, Samina Peerzada, Shaan Shahid and Anoushey Ashraf, among others.      

  • Mariyam Nafees hits out at trolls for scrutinising Iqra Aziz’s latest shoot

    Mariyam Nafees hits out at trolls for scrutinising Iqra Aziz’s latest shoot

    Actor Mariyam Nafees took to her Instagram stories to condemn trolling of fellow actress Iqra Aziz over her recent shoot. The Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3 star posted her pictures in a floral frock and flaunted her chiseled legs which got a polarising response from the netizens.

    While sharing a meme, Mariyam said that there are much more serious topics that need the required attention rather than Aziz’s legs. She cited examples like domestic violence and corruption.

    Earlier Nafees grabbed headlines for her stance on cousin marriages. On Geo’s Jashn-e-Cricket. During a segment of the show, the host Shahzad Iqbal asked the Diyar-e-Dil diva about her stance on cousin marriages.

    Mariyam expressed her displeasure over the idea of cousin marriage, saying that they grow up like siblings. She also said the idea of coursing marriage is ‘Disgusting.’