Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • ‘Pakistan’s nuclear programme in the hands of ‘thieves’, Khan questions institutions about safety of nukes

    ‘Pakistan’s nuclear programme in the hands of ‘thieves’, Khan questions institutions about safety of nukes

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday asked the institutions if ‘thieves’, who have come into power through a ‘foreign conspiracy’ and are ‘slaves’, can protect Pakistan’s nuclear programme. He was addressing a rally in Peshawar.

    In his first public address since losing his government, Khan directly addressed the judiciary and asked: “My dear judges, my judiciary, I have spent time in jail because of your freedom because I dream that one day the judiciary would stand with the weak people of the society, and not the powerful. I ask the judiciary that when you opened the court in the dead of night … this nation has known me for 45 years. Have I ever broken the law? When I played cricket, did anyone ever accuse me of match-fixing?”

    “During my 25 years of politics, I have never provoked the public against state institutions or the judiciary because my life and death are in Pakistan. I ask you, what crime had I exactly committed that you opened up the courts at midnight?” questioned Khan.

    “I will live and die for Pakistan.”

    The PTI chairman also warned that he was not that dangerous while he was part of the government, but now that he has been ousted, he will become “more dangerous” for the Opposition.

    “We will not accept an imported government and people have shown what they want by holding demonstrations against the move,” he said.

    https://twitter.com/faizanMFY/status/1514324171601309697?s=20&t=ZV12ull1vvQhyBqrXT1Z2Q

    “Shehbaz Sharif is out on bail, his son is out on bail, Nawaz Sharif is a convict, and his son is an absconder in London and the same is the case with his sons, daughter, and son-in-law.”

    “America has insulted Pakistan by imposing these bandits on us; Shehbaz Sharif is facing corruption charges of Rs40 billion,” Khan added. “Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was sacked through a conspiracy by the USA, but this is not the Pakistan of 1970. This is the new Pakistan.”

    “My youth, get ready, I will be out on the streets with you in every city until we do not force them to hold elections,” he said, adding, “Today marks the beginning of the struggle to find actual freedom.”

  • US congratulates Shehbaz on election as prime minister

    US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Wednesday congratulated newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and vowed to continue its long-standing cooperation with Pakistan’s government.

    Shehbaz was elected the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan on Monday after his predecessor, Imran Khan, was removed from office through a no-confidence vote last week.

    In a statement issued last night, Blinken expressed that Pakistan had been an important partner on wide-ranging mutual interests for nearly 75 years and US valued their relationship.

    “The United States views a strong, prosperous and democratic Pakistan as essential for the interests of both countries,” he added.

    Responding to the statement, the Prime Minister’s Office reaffirmed the need for cooperation with United States. “The new government wishes to constructively and positively engage with the US to promote of peace, security and development in the region,” it tweeted.

    The PMO also highlighted the need for deepening the relationship on the principles of equality, mutual interest and mutual benefit.

    Blinken’s comments come a day after Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said that the US had a “healthy military-to-military relationship with Pakistani armed forces”, adding that “we have every expectation that will be able to continue to be the case”.

    “We recognise that Pakistan plays a key role in the region. We recognise that Pakistan and the Pakistani people are, themselves, victims of terrorist attacks inside their own country,” he added.

    In response to a question on allegations of the ousted premier against the US for its role in regime change, Kirby had declined to comment and said that US would not talk about Pakistan’s domestic politics.

    Ties between Islamabad and Washington touched a new low after former prime minister Imran Khan accused the US of conspiring to dislodge his government. He based his allegation on a diplomatic cable in which it was reportedly said that a State Department official had warned of consequences for bilateral ties if the no-confidence motion against then PM Imran Khan failed.

    Washington had denied the allegation.

  • Boris Johnson ‘looking forward to working with’ Shehbaz-led govt

    Boris Johnson ‘looking forward to working with’ Shehbaz-led govt

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday felicitated Shehbaz Sharif on becoming the prime minister of Pakistan.

    “Congratulations to Shehbaz Sharif on his election as Prime Minister of Pakistan,” the British PM tweeted.

    It is noteworthy that Russia, China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and several other countries have extended felicitation to Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the new prime minister of Pakistan.

    Beijing in a statement said that it was looking forward to working with him to continue the traditional friendship, deepen all-round cooperation and advance a high-quality building of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in new era.

  • Gold prices go up by Rs350 per tola to Rs130,300

    Gold prices go up by Rs350 per tola to Rs130,300

    The price of gold in the local market soared by Rs350 per tola (11.7 gramme) on April 13. All Pakistan Jewellers Manufacturers Association stated that the precious yellow metal is currently trading at Rs130,300 per tola.

    Accordingly, the cost of 10 gramme of gold jumped by Rs300 to Rs111,711. Silver prices in the local market as of April 13, remained constant at Rs1,520 and Rs1,303.15.

    Gold prices touched a one-month high in the international market as surging consumer costs bolstered its desirability as an inflation hedge, while investors seemed to ignore the Federal Reserve’s imminent interest rate hike and a healthier dollar.

    By 12:40 pm. ET (1640 GMT), spot gold had risen 0.6 per cent to $1,978.81 per ounce, after reaching its highest level since March 14 at $1,979.95. Gold futures in the United States (US) increased 0.3 per cent to $1,982.6.

    Read more: Car sales up by 53.7 per cent in 2022, despite repeated price hikes

    Bullion prices surged $22 per ounce on the global market, settling at $1,977 per ounce. When compared to the Dubai market, gold prices in Pakistan are approximately Rs5,000 cheaper.

  • ‘Hamza is like my brother’, Aleem Khan dispels rumours of differences with him

    ‘Hamza is like my brother’, Aleem Khan dispels rumours of differences with him

    The member of disgruntled Jahangir Khan Tareen (JKT) group Aleem Khan dismissed the reports about any differences with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) nominee for Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, saying: “Hamza is like my younger brother.”

    In a tweet, Khan took a jibe at Hamza’s contender Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Pervaiz Elahi and said, “Elahi is seeing his defeat. He has come to know that defeat has become his destiny. I have a very lovable and respect relation with Hamza. He is like my younger brother. Nothing has happened and will never happen.”

    “Pervaiz Elahi should admit his defeat. Come to the polls. There will be no need for them to do such things,” Khan added.

    Following this, Hamza also dropped a tweet. He said, “The lies which have been propagated against me and Aleem Khan are baseless and a product of someone’s imagination. Khan is a respected brother and a senior politician. Seeing a clear defeat in Punjab, such a bay is being flown.”

    Earlier, it was claimed that Khan is involved in an altercation with Hamza and he had threatened to resign from his seat.

    The Punjab Assembly’s crucial session for the election of a new CM is likely to take place on April 16. PML-N has claimed of having the support of 202 Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) in the house.

  • Pentagon expects continuation of healthy relationship with Pakistani armed forces

    Pentagon expects continuation of healthy relationship with Pakistani armed forces

    Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby has said the United States had a “healthy military-to-military relationship with Pakistani armed forces”, adding that “we have every expectation that will be able to continue to be the case”.

    The comments from the senior Pentagon official come two days after Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the prime minister of Pakistan, replacing Imran Khan who was ousted last week through a no-confidence vote.

    In a press briefing on Tuesday, Kirby said the US had shared interests with Pakistan with respect to security and stability in “that part of the world”.

    “We recognise that Pakistan plays a key role in the region. We recognise that Pakistan and the Pakistani people are, themselves, victims of terrorist attacks inside their own country,” he added.

    In response to a question about election of Shehbaz Sharif as the prime minister and allegations of the ousted premier Imran Khan against the US for its role in regime change, Kirby declined to offer a comment.

    “I think you can understand that we’re not going to comment about domestic politics inside Pakistan,” he responded.

    When asked whether the US was prepared in case Pakistan’s military intervenes amid street protests organised by former prime minister Imran Khan “with his very large crowd of supporters”, Kirby said he did not foresee any US military role there.

    “And I’m certainly not going to, again, wade into internal domestic politics in Pakistan,” he said.

    White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had earlier said that a democratic Pakistan was critical to US interests.

    Ties between Islamabad and Washington touched a new low after former prime minister Imran Khan accused the US of conspiring to dislodge his government. He based his allegation on a diplomatic cable in which it was reportedly said that a State Department official had warned of consequences for bilateral ties if the no-confidence motion failed.

    Washington has denied the allegation.

    Mending fences with the US would be one of the top foreign policy priorities for the new government.

  • 57% people happy with Imran Khan’s removal: Survey

    57% people happy with Imran Khan’s removal: Survey

    According to Gallup Pakistan survey, 57 per cent of people are happy with the removal of Imran Khan through the no-confidence motion while 43 per cent are angry with the outcome.

    71 per cent of happy individuals cite rising inflation and poverty as the main reasons for their happiness while 11 per cent didn’t specify any reason.

    For those who were unhappy, the highest reason stated was that Khan was an honest person and a great leader while 15 per cent of people say that they simply like Khan.

    Moreover, the survey states that 53 per cent of males are happy with Khan being gone and 62 per cent of females are happy with the no-confidence motion’s result.

    The high number of happy people is in Sindh with 60 per cent, Punjab stands at second place with 57 per cent and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stands at third place with 53 per cent.

    As per the Gallup survey, a great majority of 90 per cent have the intention to vote for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) while only seven per cent say that they will vote for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    It is pertinent to mention that Khan was removed as a Prime Minister on April 9 by the National Assembly (NA).

  • Team Pakistan, Sri Lanka set to play Test & ODIs during July series

    Team Pakistan, Sri Lanka set to play Test & ODIs during July series

    Pakistan cricket team is set to tour Sri Lanka for test and ODIs series which will begin from July to August this year. Pakistan will play two Tests and five One Day International (ODIs) matches against Sri Lanka. Pakistan recently successfully hosted Australia for a full series after 24 long years … 3 tests, three ODIs, and a T20.

    Both Cricket Boards will announce venues and dates for the matches after mutual consultation. Pakistan will prolong its tour in Sri Lanka for the T20 Asia Cup, which will end in September.

    Before touring Sri Lanka, the West Indies team is visiting Pakistan in the month of June to play three ODI matches with Pakistan.

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to remove covid restrictions and bio-secure bubble during the Pakistan-West Indies series as the infection rate has significantly dropped in the country.

    England is scheduled to tour Pakistan for seven T20I matches after the Pakistan-Sri Lanka series.

  • Pakistan’s cotton fabric trade climbed by 28.23 per cent

    Pakistan’s cotton fabric trade climbed by 28.23 per cent

    In the first eight months of the fiscal year 2021-22, Pakistan’s textile and garment exports grew to $1.65 billion. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) estimates that the textile and apparel sector brought in $12.607 billion this time, compared to $ 9.999 billion in exports from July to February 2020-21.

    Knitwear exports surged by 33.86 per cent to $3.302 billion on a year-over-year (YoY) basis, while non-knit readymade clothes trade increased by 25.11 per cent to $2.516 billion. Additionally, cotton yarn exports increased by 34.40 per cent to $815.375 million, up from $606.690 million the previous year.

    Cotton fabric trade climbed by 28.23 per cent in 2022, reaching $1.584 billion in value. Also, over the eight months of 2021-22, the distribution of bed clothing jumped by 20.34 per cent.

    The industry has engaged in synthetic fiber imports, which increased by 31.65 per cent from July to February 2021-22, and the cost of artificial silk yarn soared by $ 569.256 million.

    Consequently, the value of textile machinery in Pakistan has climbed dramatically over the last eight months, reaching $577.249 million.

    Read more: SBP determined to curb inflation, improve foreign exchange reserves

    For those unaware, Pakistan’s textile sector has the capacity to generate $30 billion in annual revenue. The country’s leaders and economic experts should assess the existing economic situation and devise an effective economic strategy to boost textile exports.

    To summarise, the industry has tremendous potential and can significantly contribute to the country’s economic success by providing job opportunities. Which could help the country’s GDP and GNP grow even more.

  • ‘The light that will always shine’: Mashal Khan being remembered on 5th death anniversary

    ‘The light that will always shine’: Mashal Khan being remembered on 5th death anniversary

    Social media is remembering Mashal Khan on his fifth death anniversary. He was lynched to death on charges of blasphemy.

    Mashal Khan, a 23-year-old student of the Department of Mass Communication at Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, was lynched by a mob and shot over allegations of blasphemy on April 13, 2017.

    In June 2017, a 13-member joint investigation team concluded that the allegations of blasphemy against Mashal Khan were unfounded and were used as a pretext to incite a mob against him.

    Have a look at the tributes: