Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • ‘Good Bye’: Aamir Liaquat resigns from National Assembly

    ‘Good Bye’: Aamir Liaquat resigns from National Assembly

    Former TV anchor Aamir Liaquat Husain has resigned from Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI). “Resigned from the National Assembly. May Allah Almighty support Imran Khan and PTI. Good Bye,” Aamir said in a tweet.

    Earlier, Aamir offered his resignation last year in July but Prime Minister Imran refused his resignation. He won on a PTI ticket from NA-245 in the 2018. 

    Read more- Aamir Liaquat lashes out at portal over confirming the news of his alleged divorce

    Aamir Liaquat has been criticised for being a controversial figure, especially while hosting Ramzan transmissions. This year, in January, Aamir made the news again for rumours surrounding his divorce with his second wife Syeda Tuba Aamir. Aamir denied the rumours but his wife Tuba has still not addressed the issue.

  • PM Khan welcomes Pandora Papers, vows to investigate Pakistanis mentioned

    PM Khan welcomes Pandora Papers, vows to investigate Pakistanis mentioned

    The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which has been investigating international finance and tax havens, has released a detailed list of public figures with offshore companies called the ‘Pandora Papers’ as part of their new investigation.

    Nearly 700 Pakistanis have been named in the report including Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) leader Sharjeel Memon, Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz’s (PML-N) Senator Ishaq Dar’s son Ali Dar, Punjab provincial minister Aleem Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Vawda, Pakistan Muslim League- Quaid (PML-Q) leader and Federal Minister for Water Resources Monis Elahi.

    Reacting to the news, Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed to investigate all those Pakistanis mentioned in the Pandora Papers, and tweeted: “If any wrongdoing is established we will take appropriate action.”

    “We welcome the Pandora Papers exposing the ill-gotten wealth of elites, accumulated through tax evasion & corruption & laundered out to financial ‘havens’. The UN SG’s Panel FACTI calculated a staggering $7 trillion in stolen assets parked in largely offshore tax havens,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.

    “I call on the international community to treat this grave injustice as similar to the climate change crisis,” he added.

    As per Geo News, Pandora Papers is a development to what has earlier been revealed in the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers, as per reports. 

    The ICIJ’s major investigation titled: “The Pandora Papers”, is said to be the result of 600 journalists in 117 countries studying for months roughly 11.9 million documents that leaked from the offshore environment.

    Journalist Umar Cheema, who was part of the ICIJ’s team investigating the Pandora Papers, said that the names of several Pakistanis were on the Pandora Papers, adding that people should wait for another day as the report will officially be released on October 3.

  • Fact check: Is Junaid Safdar’s name in Pandora Papers?

    Fact check: Is Junaid Safdar’s name in Pandora Papers?

    Claim: PMLN Leader Maryam Nawaz’s son Junaid Safdar’s name came up in the Pandora Papers.

    Fact:

    Following the revelations in the Pandora Papers, featuring names of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ministers as well as Opposition members, some channels shared the news that Junaid Safdar, who is the son of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz, also has five offshore companies registered in his name.

    As per reports, the government-run channel, Pakistan Television Network (PTV), aired the news of Junaid Safdar’s offshore companies.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan’s aide, Dr Shahbaz Gill, shared an image of PTV News with his tweet about Junaid Safdar’s offshore companies.

    Shahbaz Gill, while speaking on ARY News programme ‘Sawal Yeh Hai’, backed the news stating that PTV broke the news of Maryam Nawaz’s son owning offshore companies. “It is not possible that when it comes to theft or hiding information, we don’t see Maryam Baji’s [Maryam Nawaz’s] name there. Her son’s three to five companies have also been uncovered.”

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also took to Twitter and tweeted, “The latest information is that there are five offshore companies in the name of Junaid Safdar, son of Maryam Nawaz. How much money does this family need?”

    Chaudhry also claimed the same in Nadia Mirza’s programme on Dawn News.

    In response to the news, which was shared by a section of the media quoting state-run PTV, Maryam Nawaz issued a statement saying that if the TV channel that ran the news does not apologise immediately, she will take them to court and file a defamation lawsuit.

    Responding to a suggestion by someone to seek legal action in the UK, she said that if the UK desk aired it, the family will sue them there too.

    However, Aoun Sahi from PTV — in response to senior journalist Nasim Zehra — refuted the claims of the news of Junaid Safdar being run on the channel and tweeted, “PTV hasn’t run the story. It’s photoshopped ma’am.”

    Umar Cheema and Fakhar Durrani, the two journalists from The News who participated in the Pandora Papers investigation from Pakistan, were asked by Geo News about Junaid Safdar’s name in the Pandora Papers. They both said they did not come across Junaid Safdar’s name during their investigation.

    “We checked the names of each member of the Sharif family,” Durrani said.

    Umar Cheema also tweeted that a Twitter account by the name of ‘PandoraLeaks’ is fake. The account tweeted: “Our research has found out that Junaid Safdar, grandson of former PM Nawaz Shareef has 3 shell and 2 offshore companies in Seychelles and Virgin Islands.”

    The account has since been deleted.

    The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which has been investigating international finance and tax havens, has released a detailed list of public figures with offshore companies called the ‘Pandora Papers’ as part of their new investigation.

    VERDICT: FAKE

  • NCOC asks for cooperation as pilgrims return from Iraq, refuse to quarantine

    NCOC asks for cooperation as pilgrims return from Iraq, refuse to quarantine

    The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) has advised the pilgrims coming back from Iraq to undergo mandatory quarantine for their own safety.

    The statement has come after pilgrims refused to follow the Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) upon their arrival.

    Deputy Secretary-General of Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Allama Nasir Abbas, previously warned that if the quarantine restriction of those returning to Pakistan from Karbala was not lifted, then the party would go and welcome them at the airports.

    At the airport, pilgrims caused panic that other passengers had to face as well. As a result, the administration was forced to call the police to maintain the law and order situation.

    The NCOC mentioned that Iraq was placed in Category C as the spread of coronavirus was rapid there.

    “On the occasion of Arbaeen, people from across the world gather in [Karbala], therefore, the pilgrims coming back from there are a high-risk group,” NCOC stated.

  • ‘PC bhijwaega, actresses are not prostitutes’: Amna Kareim calls out harasser

    ‘PC bhijwaega, actresses are not prostitutes’: Amna Kareim calls out harasser

    Actor Amna Kareim has shared that she has been receiving calls and messages from an anonymous man.

    The Meenu Ka susral star shared a screenshot of a chat in which a man is messaging her, in which he offered her to meet in PC hotel (Pearl Continental).

    She shared that this man is calling her from two different numbers and said that his name is Danish. While she also shared that she has lodged a complain in Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

    “I already did complain by myself but we all should expose such things to save our ladies,” she wrote.

    On the work front, she was last seen in HUM TV’s Abro.

  • #PetrolPrice: Memes break the internet

    The government on Thursday, increased the price of petrol by Rs 4 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs 2 per litre.

    The prices of kerosene oil and light diesel oil (LDO) were increased by Rs 7.05 and Rs 8.82 per litre, respectively.

    From Oct 1, the price of petrol will be Rs 127.30 per litre, high-speed diesel will be Rs 122.04 per litre, kerosene oil will be Rs 99.31 and light diesel oil will be Rs 99.51 per litre.

    Social media users did not lose the opportunity to start a meme fest following the news.

    https://twitter.com/Haroonikram10/status/1444001135073894402?s=20
  • ‘Chance at a normal life’: Fawad supports TTP integration

    ‘Chance at a normal life’: Fawad supports TTP integration

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry is supporting ‘a normal life’ for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), those of whom wish to pledged loyalty to the state, reports Geo.

    Fawad said, “The people who could not fulfill their pledge of allegiance to Pakistan want to return to fulfill this pledge.”

    According to the minister, those people who wish to follow the constitution should be given a chance, adding that the government seeks to move forward with the conditions laid down by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    Earlier, PM Khan called for the disarmament of the TTP by saying, “We can forgive them and they can become normal citizens.”

    The information minister added that in Balochistan more than 3000 people have come back to a normal life, the ones who had ‘fallen prey to India’s conspiracies.’

    The TTP said that their leaders are engaged in “secret talks” and have asked all fighters to observe a ceasefire till October 20.

  • US official calls for Pakistan action against militants ‘without distinction’

    US official calls for Pakistan action against militants ‘without distinction’

    US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will meet with Pakistani officials during her October 7-8 visit.

    Ahead of her visit, Sherman told reporters, “We seek a strong partnership with Pakistan on counterterrorism and we expect sustained action against all militant and terrorist groups without distinction.”

    “Both of our countries have suffered terribly from the scourge of terrorism and we look forward to cooperative efforts to eliminate all regional and global terrorist threats,” she said.

    In an important development prior to her visit, Prime Minister Imran Khan told Turkey’s TRT World television, “Some of the Pakistani Taliban groups actually want to talk to our government for some peace, for some reconciliation.”

    “If the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) lay down their arms, we can forgive them and they can become normal citizens,” said PM Khan.

    “I repeat I do not believe in military solutions. I am anti-military solutions, so I always believe that being a politician, political dialogue is the way ahead, which I always believed was the case in Afghanistan,” added the premier.

  • PPP questions PM Khan for not taking parliament into confidence over talks with TTP

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman tweeted that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan again wants to give amnesty to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). She questioned whether PM Khan had asked parliament “what we think about that”. She also questioned whether the premier had heard the TTP response to the government’s offer of reconciliation.

     PPP’s Nayyar Bokhari pointed out that the parliament had been “bypassed” and called on the government to clarify the terms on which these talks were being held.

    In a separate statement, PPP information secretary Shazia Marri said: “On what basis and under what conditions are talks being held with the TTP? Why was the parliament not taken into confidence? Why did the government feel the need to hold secret talks with the TTP in this way?”

    These statements came after Prime Minister Imran Khan said that if the TTP lay down their arms, “we can forgive them and they can become normal citizens”. 

  • Ehsanullah Ehsan joins Twitter space, says he is not ashamed of attacking Malala

    Ehsanullah Ehsan joins Twitter space, says he is not ashamed of attacking Malala

    Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan participated in a Twitter space hosted by journalist Azaz Syed on Friday. In a video clip widely shared by social media users, Ehsan can be heard saying that he does not feel ashamed about taking the responsibility of the attack on Malala Yousafzai. He added that the attack on Malala was justified.

    Ehsanullah is also a prime accused in the 2014 attack on Army Public School (APS) Peshawar.

    In a separate development, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that if theTTP lay down their arms, “we can forgive them and they can become normal citizens”. PM Khan said this in an interview with journalist Ali Mustafa, which will air on TRT World Now.