Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • Democratic Pakistan critical to US interests, says White House

    A democratic Pakistan is critical to the interests of the United States, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday, hours after Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the prime minister.

    Ex-prime minister Imran Khan repeatedly blamed the US for backing the no-confidence motion — that lead to his ouster early Sunday — and has refused to accept the newly-elected premier, saying “there can’t be any bigger insult to this country” — but the Joe Biden administration denied any role.

    In a press briefing at the White House, Psaki said: “We support the peaceful upholding of constitutional democratic principles, we don’t support one political party over another.”

    The White House press secretary said the United States “certainly” supports the principles of rule of law and equal justice under the law.

    Psaki added that the US values its long-standing cooperation with Pakistan and has always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan as critical to US interests — that remains unchanged regardless of who the leadership is.

    In response to a question about whether Biden would call Shehbaz, Psaki said: “In terms of future calls, I don’t have anything to predict at this point and time, obviously, we stay in close touch with them at a range of levels.”

    Since Biden assumed the US president’s office in 2021, Imran Khan and Biden did not hold a telephonic conversation.

  • Which designer was Maryam Nawaz wearing at the PM oath-taking ceremony?

    Which designer was Maryam Nawaz wearing at the PM oath-taking ceremony?

    Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Maryam Nawaz’s ensemble has become the center of attention which she was wearing during the oath ceremony of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

    It is now revealed by the clothing brand, Parniyaan by Ayesha Jawad on their Instagram that Maryam Nawaz was wearing their outfit during the event. She was wearing their Chantelle chiffon brown dress. The dupatta has an elegant design at the bottom of it.

    The brand also highlighted another client on their Instagram wearing their dress who is the wife of Former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary, Saima Fawad Chaudhary.

  • 264 shopkeepers arrested in Peshawar for overcharging

    264 shopkeepers arrested in Peshawar for overcharging

    During a three-day crackdown on racketeers in Peshawar, the district administration arrested 264 shopkeepers from various parts of the provincial capital on April 11.

    Officials of the district administration visited bazaars in, Hayatabad, Kohat Road, Interior City, Nauthia, Ring Road, Charsadda Road, Dilzak Road, University Road, GT Road, Pajagee Road, Bara Road, and other localities to examine Ramzan bazaars, along with the availability of vital food products, on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Peshawar, Shafiullah Khan.

    They investigated the quality and status of the commodities sold at Mega Malls set up as Ramazan Facilitation Counters and detained 264 profiteers from various areas. Fruit and vegetable vendors, milk vendors, butchers, grocers, and others were among those arrested. The district government has signaled that legal action may be taken against them.

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

    Previously, the Minister for Food, Science, and Information Technology in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Atif Khan had also directed the responsible authorities on April 8 to constantly monitor the relief provided to people by the provincial government in terms of food costs.

  • Shehbaz Sharif’s election as Prime Minister sparks meme fest

    Shehbaz Sharif’s election as Prime Minister sparks meme fest

    The Joint Opposition’s candidate Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan, after the former Prime Minister Imran Khan was voted out of office through a no-confidence motion on Saturday, April 9.

    Shehbaz bagged a total of 174 votes as opposed to PTI’s candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Qureshi received no votes after his party decided to boycott the polling process.

    Shehbaz bagged a total of 174 votes as opposed to PTI’s candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Qureshi received no votes after his party decided to boycott the polling process.

    Shehbaz Sharif’s election has sparked a meme fest on Twitter, have a look:

  • Shahid Afridi congratulates PM Shehbaz Sharif, Twitter goes boom

    Former Cricket Captain, Shahid Afridi has sent good wishes to newly-elected Prime Minister (PM), Shehbaz Sharif following the ouster of Former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion on Sunday.

    Shahid Afridi penned down on Twitter, “Congratulations to Shahbaz Sharif on being elected the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan. I hope that he will be able to use his management skills to bring Pakistan out of the current economic and political crisis.”

    In another tweet, he said, “When the time comes to leave, whether it is right or sad. Leave must be accepted in a dignified manner. Accusations, conspiracies, and even defeats are part of the power game. In the pages of history, it is ultimately about moral standards, democracy, and the supremacy of the constitution. This is the balance of beauty.”

    Shehbaz Sharif secured 174 votes of Parliamentarians and was elected the new Prime Minister unopposed on Monday as Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ( PTI) boycotted the session. Later, all members of the PTI in the National Assembly resigned from their seats.

    However, Shahid Afridi’s tweets have been receiving mixed reactions from Pakistanis.

    One user said, “He’s your PM, not ours. He sold his soul to the devil, the most corrupt person on bail.”

    https://twitter.com/imwobm/status/1513574671790215168
    https://twitter.com/noirroad/status/1513630237329924107
    https://twitter.com/SherAhmedKhan18/status/1513561825505390594

  • ‘Baby one more time’: Britney Spears expecting third child with ‘husband’ Sam Asghari

    Singer Britney Spears announced she is pregnant with her third child by posting a message on Instagram on Monday.

    Spears, 40, not only revealed her pregnancy but also appeared to announce she has gotten married to her fiance Sam Asghari, 28, calling him her “husband” in the post.

    Spears described how she noticed changes in her stomach that at first, she dismissed as weight gain.

    “So I got a pregnancy test … and uhhhhh well … I am having a baby,” she posted.

    The pop star also recounted how she suffered depression during a previous pregnancy and how she now feels women can more openly discuss their mental health while pregnant.

    “This time I will be doing yoga every day. Spreading lots of joy and love!!!” she wrote.

    In June 2021, Spears complained in court in her conservatorship case that she was being prevented from marrying or having more children.

    In November, a judge ended her 13-year conservatorship that had allowed her father, Jamie Spears, to control her personal life and $60 million estates.

    Spears has two sons, Sean Preston, 16, and Jayden James, 15, from her previous marriage with Kevin Federline.

  • Shehbaz Sharif – the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan

    Shehbaz Sharif – the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan

    The Joint Opposition’s candidate Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan, after the former Prime Minister Imran Khan was voted out of office through a no-confidence motion on Saturday, April 9.

    Shehbaz bagged a total of 174 votes as opposed to PTI’s candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Qureshi received no votes after his party decided to boycott the polling process.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Ayaz Sadiq presided over the session after Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri said his conscience did not allow him to conduct the session.

    Born in Lahore in 1950, Shehbaz is the younger brother of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif. Shehbaz has served three times as Punjab’s chief minister.

    Taking the floor, the newly-elected prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said that it was for the first time in the history of Pakistan that a prime minister was ousted through the no-confidence motion.

    April 11 historic day

    Terming April 11 a “historic day”, he mentioned that the happiness of the people can be seen through the economic indicators. Shehbaz mentioned that the rupee regained its value — which was trading at Rs190 per dollar and closed at Rs182 per dollar today.

    ‘Will probe threat letter’

    The newly-elected prime minister said the Opposition was discussing the no-confidence motion days before Imran Khan’s “concocted threat letter controversy”.

    “They say that this letter came to them on March 7, but our decisions were made way before that, so, if [what the previous government claimed] is a lie, then the matter should be disclosed transparently before the public,” he said.

    PM Shehbaz Sharif announced that the parliament’s security committee would be given a briefing on the “threat letter” to the members of the committee in presence of the armed forces personnel and bureaucrats — the director-general Inter-Services Intelligence, foreign secretary, and the ambassador who wrote it, who has now been transferred to Brussels.

    “If there’s an iota of evidence that we were backed by foreign conspirators […] then with you Mr speaker and God as my witness, I will not think for another second and resign from the office of the prime minister,” PM Shehbaz Sharif said, vowing to hold an in-camera session of the security committee at the earliest.

    Economy

     Shehbaz Sharif said that hard work was required for Pakistan’s progress as if only statements could move the country forward, then during PTI’s tenure, we would have been among the leading nations.

    “We will need to wash out the effects of the previous government by working together, otherwise, we will fail […] our economy is in a bad situation right now,” the prime minister said.

    “We will need to wash out the effects of the previous government by working together, otherwise, we will fail […] our economy is in a bad situation right now,” said PM Shehbaz.

    “The minimum wage will be jacked up to Rs25,000 (from April 1). 10 per cent increase in pensions of retired civil, and military officials (from April 1). Cheap wheat to be introduced at utility stores.”

    “Laptop and technical education for youth. Reintroduction of Benazir Card. Appeal to industrialists to increase salaries of employees who earn up to Rs100,000 by 10 per cent.”

    Shehbaz’s take on foreign policy

    Shehbaz said China has been Pakistan’s partner through thick and thin. “No one can snatch Pakistan and China’s friendship from us,” he said, calling it a “long-lasting relation.”

    “But this friendship is for forever and … I assure that we will make progress on the CPEC,” he added, thanking Chinese President Xi Jinping.

    Speaking about India, the newly-elected prime minister lamented that despite them wanting peaceful ties with India, they know that until the Kashmir issue is resolved, relations between the two cannot be strengthened.

    Urging Indian premier Narendra Modi to understand the issues of the people living on both sides, he questioned there is poverty, unemployment, medical issues, etc. then “why are we harming ourselves and the generations to come?”

    “Why do we want our coming generations to suffer. Come, let’s resolve the Kashmir issue in line with United Nation resolutions and Kashmiris’ expectations, so that we are able to end poverty on both sides of the border.”

    Underlining the significance of having good ties with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, European Union nations, the United Arab Emirates, Britain, and Iran, he said that ties needed to be strengthened with the US on the basis of equality and “we need to raise our voice for Afghanistan” where the situation was dire.

    “We want peace in Afghanistan.”

    The session was subsequently adjourned till 4pm on April 16.

    Sanjrani administers the oath to Shehbaz in President Alvi’s absence

    Prior to the ceremony, President Dr Arif Alvi had complained of discomfort and was advised to rest for a few days, according to an update posted on his Twitter account.

    In the president’s absence, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani administered the oath to PM Shehbaz.

    Modi, Turkey’s Erdogan congratulate Shehbaz on becoming PM

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday congratulated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on becoming the 23rd premier of Pakistan.

    Meanwhile, in a telephonic conversation with Shehbaz, Turkish President Erdogan told the newly-elected prime minister that he was “extremely happy” about him being elected as the premier.

    Guard of honour

    Earlier this morning, the premier was given a Guard of Honour at Prime Minister’s House.

  • International oil prices declined by 4%, crashing below $100 per barrel

    International oil prices declined by 4%, crashing below $100 per barrel

    Brent crude slid below $100 for the first time since March 16 amid plans to release huge amounts of petroleum and oil products from strategic storage, and also China’s prolonged coronavirus closure.

    Crude oil was down $4.1, or 3.99 per cent, at $98.68 per barrel. The price of US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $4.28 a barrel, or 4.28 per cent, to $94.07 per barrel.

    The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently announced that member countries will release 60 million barrels over the next six months, with the United States matching that amount as part of its 180-million-barrel release announced in March.

    The actions are meant to make up for a shortfall of Russian crude after Moscow was extensively sanctioned for what it claims was a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

    As per JP Morgan analysts, the release of Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) volumes will amount to 1.3 million barrels per day (BPD) over the next six months, enough to cover a 1 million BPD shortfall in Russian oil supplies.

    The release of strategic government oil reserves is projected to relieve some market tightness in the coming months, reducing the likelihood of oil prices rising and re-enforcing near-term supply constraints.

    While this is the largest release since the IEA stockpile was established in 1980, market participants believe it will fail to affect the principles of the oil market and will just delay further increases in production from crucial suppliers.

  • SBP governor hopeful about IMF programme to resume

    SBP governor hopeful about IMF programme to resume

    Pakistan’s economic fundamentals have continued to remain strong and the unpopular decisions of the government to hike the energy prices in future is likely to get $6 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme back on track.

    The engagement of the Ministry of Finance and the central bank with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) remains strong.

    “In the current political environment, it is no surprise that the unpopular decisions, such as increase in fuel and electricity prices, are proving difficult,” State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Reza Baqir said in an interview to Bloomberg TV on Monday.

    “We are confident that very soon, we will be able to put the delay (in resumption of IMF programme) behind us and announce the good news of attaining the next tranche from the IMF.”

    Pakistan has received half of the funding from IMF. It negotiated $6 billion loan package in June 2019 and it has received $3 billion so far. Another $3 billion is left to be received.

    “Our goal is to first complete the work which will bring in the remaining $3 billion and after that, if we need (more), we can negotiate it in future,” the SBP Governor said.

    IMF is important not just for money but also for the signal that it sends of good housekeeping on the economic policy that catalyses funding from other bilateral creditors as well as private capital markets.

    “We are hopeful that with that positive message coming out, we will be able to mobilise funding from other sources other than IMF,” he said.

    When domestic political uncertainty was taking toll on local financial markets in the recent past, the central bank considered 250 basis point hike in key policy rate “important to fix the bubble of economic uncertainty,” he said.

    It is important that economic policy making institutions act on a timely basis to ensure that the goal of financial stability remains.

    “Since the decision (of rate hike), the rupee has rallied nearly 2% and stock market rallied about 1.5% and yields on three and five-year bonds in Pakistan fell about 35 basis points.”

    Last year (fiscal year 2020-21), Pakistan’s economy grew by around 5.5%. “Our projection for growth this fiscal year is 4% even with multiple hikes in the interest rate.

    Pakistan’s central bank increased the key policy rate by a massive 250 basis points in an emergency meeting as it had “concerns related to price instability and foreign exchange market,”

    According to him, there were three main factors that forced the central bank to arrange an emergency monetary policy meeting.

    First, uptrend in oil prices has persisted since March and oil futures are about 10-12% higher for next fiscal year.

    Secondly, inflation in March for Pakistan was 50-100 basis points higher than the previous month. The headline inflation stood at around 12.7% and core inflation was 9%.

    Finally, rupee had lost significantly (over 5%) during the past few weeks owing to political uncertainty, Baqir recalled.

    “When we feel that our financial markets are threatened by political instability, we take important steps that are one of the key reasons behind the timing of our (emergency) monetary policy decision last week,” he said.

  • 7,000 cases closed after PECA repelled by court: Federal Investigation Agency

    7,000 cases closed after PECA repelled by court: Federal Investigation Agency

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has closed almost 7,000 inquiries and actions initiated under section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act (Peca) Ordinance 2022, a couple of days after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared the amended law as “unconstitutional”.

    Majority of these complaints were registered on charges of defamation and serious threats received by citizens via Twitter and Facebook profiles.

    The IHC further directed the federal government to probe abuse of the law and sought a report in this regard within 30 days.

    According to Dawn News, quoting sources, “the action was initiated on 70 percent of the total complaints filed by the women who were harassed on social media by “known and unknown persons.”

    FIA officials stated that over 60 percent of the total complaints of women were registered on charges of sexually harassment through Facebook accounts.

    Furthermore, following the IHC verdict, the FIA’s cyber crime division has stopped receiving complaints under Peca section 20.

    Read more- Civil society, political collectives condemn PECA Ordinance

    Why was the law so controversial?

    PECA received criticism from all quarters of society. According to critics, the law would make it illegal to send text messages without the recipient’s authorisation, be tried and jailed for sending fake whatsapp forwards or to use social media to criticise the government.

    Digital Rights activist Usama Khilji, while talking exclusively to The Current said that “the section of PECA related to sexual harassment is sections 21 and 24 which are very much still a part of the law. Only the harm to reputation part of section 20 has been struck down by the Islamabad High court because it had become a tool in the hands of the powerful to shut down any criticism against them through a criminal defamation case. Defamation is decriminalised in most democracies today. “

    He continued by adding, “the short-lived amendment ordinance only worsened section 20 by criminalising harm to the reputation of public officials as well as organisations and institutions, and making it non-bailable, non-compoundable and cognizable which means that the FIA could arrest accused without warrant, file a case on their own, and not give them bail. it was necessary to preserve basic rights and democracy the unconstitutional and authoritarian ordinance was struck down.”