Category: National

Tiktok and other social media platforms continue to circulate misleading videos, with the latest example featuring a fake Rs1,000 note.

Clips showing the alleged redesigned currency note have taken the internet by storm, sparking widespread speculation and confusion. A video featuring the fake note gained over 10 million views in just 24 hours.

The clips led many users to believe that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has officially issued a new note. 

Users soon started to question its authenticity, reposting the clip and asking if the note has actually been redesigned.

Amid growing speculation, a social media user named blogsbyusama stepped forward to clarify that he designed the note for a project in 2024 and that it had nothing to do with the state bank. Despite his admission, the video continued to spread without verification, misleading millions.

In response, SBP issued a statement saying that if any new note is ever introduced, the public will be informed through official channels. They also urged the country to not rely on unverified information and depend upon official sources for updates related to the national currency of Pakistan.

Commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force, Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, was seen alive and well after videos on social media appear to show the commander attending a rally in Tehran on Tuesday, The Jerusalem Post has reported.

According to the report, Iran Nuances X (formerly Twitter) account posted the video with the caption, “General Qaani, Commander of IRGC Quds Force, seen among Tehran’s rally attendees today following the last night attack on the US Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar (sic).”

The Post claimed that Iran’s state-owned Press TV also published the video. It said, “Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, Commander of the IRGC Quds Force, was warmly received by a jubilant crowd in Tehran during victory celebrations over the Zionist (Israeli) regime.”

On June 13, the day when Israel launched provocative strikes in Iran’s cities, The New York Times, citing Iranian sources, had reported that Qaani was killed during the strike.

Qaani succeeded Qasem Soleimani as commander after the latter was killed in a targeted operation by the United States (US) in 2020 in Baghdad.

Following an Israeli strike in Beirut that killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s presumed successor Hashem Safieddine, Qaani’s location was reportedly unknown in October 2024.

After Israel’s strikes on Irani cities, reports had claimed that top commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of others were killed.

Israel said that it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons. However, Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only. Iranian officials have repeatedly said they do not plan to develop nuclear weapons but will pursue their right to nuclear energy and research.

However, when Iran retaliated with barrages of missile attacks in Tel Aviv, the US joined in, intensifying the conflict. 

On Sunday morning, US carried out aerial strikes at nuclear facilities in Iran, including Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz. 

In a televised address to the nation from the White House, US President Donald Trump said US air strikes “totally obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites.

Declaring the strikes in Iran “spectacular military success” the US president said that they targeted the crucial underground nuclear enrichment plants.

After 12 days of aerial combat between the two regional arch-foes, US President Trump announced overnight a ceasefire between Israel and Iran to end their conflict.

Later, the ceasefire was violated; however, on Tuesday, the US president announced in a post on Truth Social that the ceasefire will remain “in effect”.

Opposition Leader Dr. Ibadullah Khan alleged in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly on Tuesday that the Chief Minister’s Secretariat had consumed tea and biscuits worth Rs110 million (11 crore).

During the debate on the Rs240 billion supplementary budget, Dr. Khan strongly criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government for making tall claims about good governance in the province. “These people talk about good governance, yet these figures are publicly available on official websites,” he remarked, citing the extravagant expenditure on food at the CM’s secretariat.

He further stated that tabling such a massive supplementary budget exposed the PTI government’s incompetence.

Drawing a comparison between two provinces, he said that the expenses of the KP CM House are Rs1.5 billion, while in Punjab, they are Rs1.4 billion.

Ibadullah further alleged Rs200 billion corruption in the province during the current year, claiming that the amount was highlighted in the Auditor General’s report..

The Leader of the Opposition stressed that the government should justify the additional budget to both the House and the public.

“Systematic corruption is openly happening in all departments. I regularly receive corruption reports and will lay them before the house soon,” he claimed.

Last week, the KP government incurred a supplementary budget of Rs 240.0137 billion for the outgoing financial year 2024-25. The amount includes Rs 192.7442 billion in head of current expenditure and an additional Rs 47.2695 billion for the development.

On Tuesday, law minister Aftab Alam Khan claimed that of the current expenditure allocations, Rs150 billion was “invested in debt management fund” instead of being spent by the government.

The chair later put off the session until today (Wednesday) amid a lack of quorum.

A notification has been circulated online claiming that the Government of Pakistan has imposed a ban on the publication, distribution, and promotion of the writings of renowned short story writer Saadat Hasan Manto by deeming his writing obscene and contrary to public decency and morality.

The notification, inscribed with the date of June 22, 2025, claims to be issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (National Heritage and Culture Division).

The notification reads, “All educational institutions across Pakistan are instructed to remove the works of Saadat Hasan Manto from their syllabi, libraries, and reading lists effective immediately.”

All electronic and print media outlets have been instructed to prohibit publishing or airing any writing or excerpts of the author, the notification noted. It further advised social media platforms and digital content distributors to take down all content based on Manto’s writing.

The notification said that if the instructions are not followed, then legal action shall be initiated under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and other applicable laws.

Similarly, as per the notification, booksellers, publishers, and online vendors were directed to cease the sale and circulation of all books authored by Manto.

The notification was circulated on social media platforms, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), which it can be seen here, and here.

Is the notification real?

The Current examined the notification closely and found it to be fabricated based on the fact that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s website has not published any such notification.

The notification also lacks  public announcement or media coverage. Additionally, a keyword search has also not found any such notification being issued officially.

Meanwhile, historical precedent exists for the censorship of Manto’s works. One of the greatest writers of the Urdu language, Manto was known for his brutally realistic portrayal of life and its stinging moral and political commentary. 

Manto was put on trial several times for spreading obscenity through his short story Thanda Gosht and was penalised for writing something that may have been violent and explicit.

A meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Monday reaffirmed Iran’s right to self-defence following the airstrikes by the United States (US) on three nuclear facilities: Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz.

Months after flattening homes, targeting hospitals, and starving a besieged population in Gaza, Israel has now launched a wide-scale air assault on Iran, hitting nuclear facilities, military sites, and private residences since June 13, killing top commanders, scientists, and civilians.

An emergency meeting of the NSC, the highest forum for security deliberations comprising the civil and military top brass, was subsequently convened.

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif chaired the meeting, with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir also attending the important moot, and reviewed the evolving regional situation following the Tel Aviv aggression against Tehran.

“The committee strongly condemned Israel’s acts of aggression and expressed regret that these military attacks coincided with a constructive negotiation process between Iran and the US. These reckless actions have escalated tensions, threatening to ignite a wider conflict and diminishing the opportunities for dialogue and diplomacy. The NSC reaffirmed Iran’s right to self-defence as enshrined in the UN Charter,” read the press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Monday (today).

The committee members also extended their condolences to the Iranian government and people over the loss of innocent lives and offered prayers for the swift recovery of the injured.

“While reiterating Pakistan’s stated position, the NSC expressed grave concern over the potential for further escalation after the attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan on June 22 which violated the resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency, relevant international law and the UN Charter,” the press release noted.

The committee members also reaffirmed Pakistan’s ongoing engagement with relevant parties and endorsed the government’s commitment to supporting efforts aimed at promoting regional peace and stability.

The NSC urged all concerned stakeholders to resolve the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy in accordance with the UN Charter, emphasising the importance of adhering to international human rights and humanitarian law.

Pakistan has strongly condemned Indian Home Minister Amit Shah’s claim that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan “will never be reinstated,” calling it a violation of international obligations.

Shah made these comments during an interview with an Indian newspaper, where he asserted that India would reroute water from the Indus River system to Rajasthan. . “We will seize water that was originally flowing to Pakistan, Pakistan will be deprived of water that it has been receiving unjustly,” he said.

In response, Pakistan’s Foreign Office stated that Shah’s remarks demonstrate a complete disregard for the Indus Waters Treaty, which was mediated by the World Bank and signed in 1960. The treaty outlines the division of the Indus Basin rivers between the two nations and has been in effect for over six decades.

India withdrew from the treaty following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of being responsible for the attack, although it has not presented any evidence to support the claim to date. Pakistan has denied the allegation and has called for an independent inquiry.

The Foreign Office emphasised that the treaty is an instrument of international law, not merely a political arrangement, and prohibits any unilateral withdrawal or suspension. It claimed that India’s decision to suspend the treaty violates not only the agreement itself but also broader principles of international law.

The FO further noted that using water as political leverage undermines the credibility of cross-border agreements and casts doubt on India’s commitment to its legal obligations. It urged India to promptly reverse its decision and restore the treaty’s implementation unconditionally.

Pakistan reiterated its commitment to the treaty and stated that it would continue to take necessary measures to safeguard its water rights as stipulated in the agreement.

Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, while addressing the public, criticised India’s position. He warned that if India refused to abide by the treaty, Pakistan would respond decisively, stating, “We will engage in another conflict and seize all six rivers. We know how to protect our waterways.”

The future of the Indus Waters Treaty remains uncertain amid ongoing political and military tensions between the two countries.