Current Final

Category: Others

  • Toyota Indus shuts down plant due to low demand

    Toyota Indus shuts down plant due to low demand

    Due to a continuing fall in demand, Indus Motors Company (IMC), the maker of Toyota vehicles, has decided to shut down all production for the remaining days of September, Dawn reported.

    As a result, reports said, the total number of Non-Production Days (NPDs) this month will reach 15 and quoted an IMC official as saying that the company had already observed eight NPDs in July and 11-12 NPDs in August.

    Claiming that “half of the month was off”, the official said that the federal excise duty (FED) leveled on various engine capacity cars, the skyrocketing prices of the cars owing to the rupee-dollar parity and high-interest rates had made their cars too costly.

    A Toyota vendor was also quoted as saying that IMC’s production would remain shut from September 20-30.

    Toyota Corolla production and sales dropped to 5,308 units and 3,708 units respectively in July-August from 8,804 and 8,770 units in the same period during last fiscal year, representing a fall of 40 per cent and 57 per cent, respectively.

    “Toyota Hilux production and sales have also plunged while that of Toyota Fortuner have come down to 232 units and 162 units from 484 units and 424 units, a drop of 52 per cent and 62 per cent, respectively,” the report said.

  • PML-N leaders mistake own ‘corruption’ for PTI’s

    In a rather embarrassing development, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders have shared audit reports highlighting financial irregularities from their own tenure, while mistaking them as “shortcomings of the now ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)”.

    As per the details, Dawn on Friday shared contents of an audit report pointing out irregularities worth over Rs15.67 trillion money in affairs of federal ministries and divisions during the audit year 2018-19.

    PML-N central spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb besides other leaders, including Maiza Hameed and Khurram Dastgir, tweeted the report while criticising the PTI government for its “corruption”.

    They, however, failed to realise that the funds audited were of the fiscal year 2017-18 — a time when the PML-N was in power — which is described as the audit year 2018-19.

    With screenshots of the said tweets starting doing rounds over the internet, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry and Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar also took a dig at the PML-N leaders for “exposing their own corruption”.

    The tweets have since been deleted.

  • Govt not responsible for kid’s death by rabies: Bilawal

    Govt not responsible for kid’s death by rabies: Bilawal

    Reacting to the death of the 10-year-old who was bitten by a stray dog in Larkana, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that his party-led Sindh government cannot be blamed for it.

    Minor Mir Hasan died of rabies on Tuesday. He was first taken to a hospital in Shikarpur, however, he was not given the treatment because there was no vaccine available there, reports said.

    Hasan’s parents were quoted as saying that they later rushed him to Larkana’s Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Hospital, but it had also run out of the required vaccine.

    A video of the boy, breathing his last in his mother’s arms outside the hospital, was widely shared over the internet as people blamed the PPP-led Sindh government for his death.

    However, Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani said it wasn’t because of a shortage of anti-rabies vaccines. “He was bitten by a dog in his village two days before Eidul Azha, which was 40 days before his death.”

    The child was not brought to the hospital immediately after the dog bite and there is no record of him at any hospital in Shikarpur, said an initial investigation report submitted by the district commissioner.

    According to the report, the anti-rabies vaccine was available in stock at the hospitals Hasan was brought to, however, it needs to be administered immediately after a dog bite.

    Once hydrophobia has been developed, the vaccine does not work and is not administered, it said.

    Rubbishing reports regarding the shortage of vaccine, Bilawal, while speaking to reporters on Thursday night said, “The child was brought to the hospital beyond the time. He was bitten on Eid and brought to the hospital now.”

    WATCH VIDEO:

    When questioned about the alleged negligence of the doctors involved, the PPP chief said that investigations were underway and the government had nothing to do with it.

    “The [Sindh] government isn’t responsible for it, but both the selected government and media keep fixating on that,” he said.

  • Indian defence minister trolled for posing in IAF uniform

    Indian defence minister trolled for posing in IAF uniform

    Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is being brutally trolled over Twitter for posing for a photograph in the uniform of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

    The photograph started doing rounds over the internet after Singh flew on board India’s indigenously-built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas in Bengaluru, becoming the first Indian defence minister to do so.

    “Visit us for tea sometime,” journalist Ajmal Jami wrote while retweeting the image. Other Twitterati, including Indians, also took some time out to troll the defence minister.

    https://twitter.com/AMEYTRIVEDI/status/1174552243955060736

    Earlier in the day, Singh said that the 30-minute sortie was “very smooth and comfortable”, not knowing that the subsequent ride won’t be.

    The IAF has already inducted a batch of Tejas aircraft. The naval version of the LCA is currently in the development stage.

    Recently in Goa, Tejas successfully carried out an “arrested landing”, a key performance demonstrating its ability to land on board an aircraft carrier, making it a major milestone in the development of the naval variant of the fighter jet.

  • Kasur: Shahid Afridi wants rapists hanged publically

    Kasur: Shahid Afridi wants rapists hanged publically

    In light of the return of child abuse and murder case in Kasur, former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi has demanded that the rapists should be hanged publically to set an example for everyone.

    The 44-year-old former athlete in a Twitter post wrote that that time had come to turn Pakistan into ‘Riyasat-e-Madina’, adding that it hurt him to see what was happening in Sindh and Punjab.

    Earlier today, protests broke out across the country, a day after remains of three missing children were found. The kids had been raped and killed, police said.

    With people recalling the horrifying story of Kasur’s minor Zainab, a protest was also held outside City Chunian police station, where people demanded the arrest of those behind the act and an end to such activities for once and for all.

  • K-Electric reports Rs12.3 billion profit

    K-Electric reports Rs12.3 billion profit

    K-Electric (KE) has announced a profit of Rs12.3 billion for the fiscal year (FY) 2017-18, marking a growth of 18.16 per cent as compared to Rs10.4 billion during the same period of last financial year, a private news outlet has reported.

    According to reports, KE’s Board of Directors held a meeting on Wednesday at the head office and approved the company’s financial results for the year that ended on June 30, 2018.

    KE declared an increase in earnings to 0.45 rupees per share in FY18 from 0.38 rupees per share in FY17.

    The company sold electricity of over Rs184.16 billion in FY18, an increase of 9 per cent as compared to Rs168.57 billion in the previous year. It also received Rs32.97 billion on account of tariff adjustment in the year compared to Rs15.29 billion in the corresponding period.

    Moreover, during the reporting period, over Rs44 billion has been invested in generation, transmission and distribution, while KE’s key financial and operational indicators marked sustained growth as well.

  • Muslims in Sindh head to temples to protect Hindu brethren

    Muslims in Sindh head to temples to protect Hindu brethren

    After blasphemy allegations against a Hindu teacher in Ghotki and the subsequent unrest, people, particularly Muslims, in Sindh are coming out of their houses to express solidarity with members of the Hindu community and promote harmony.

    As per the details, hundreds have taken to streets, condemning the actions of those who vandalised a Hindu temple in the area besides causing harm to others’ properties.

    They also demand immediate arrest of those involved in such acts.

    Among other incidents making to social media, people are visiting their nearby temples to guard members of the Hindu community as they offer prayers.

    https://twitter.com/Team_Sindhi/status/1173562028767797248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1173562028767797248&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpropakistani.pk%2F2019%2F09%2F18%2Fmuslims-guard-mandirs-in-ghotki-to-show-solidarity-with-hindus%2F
    https://twitter.com/Team_Sindhi/status/1173551796368941056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1173551796368941056&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mangobaaz.com%2Fmuslims-in-ghotki-are-guarding-hindu-temples-after-the-mob-incident-to-show-their-respect

    In another example, students at a local school gathered to form a Hindu Swastika, promoting the message of peace and national harmony.

    https://twitter.com/Team_Sindhi/status/1173998898299494400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1173998898299494400&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpropakistani.pk%2F2019%2F09%2F18%2Fmuslims-guard-mandirs-in-ghotki-to-show-solidarity-with-hindus%2F
  • Pakistan to swap Jadhav for ex-army officer ‘in Indian custody’?

    Pakistan to swap Jadhav for ex-army officer ‘in Indian custody’?

    While Indian spy Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav remains in Pakistan’s custody over terror charges, media reports have claimed that a former Pakistan army officer is in Indian custody, raising speculation about a possible prisoner swap.

    “The government is making all-out efforts to locate Lt Col (r) Habib Zahir,” Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said while taking exception to Indian media reports and denying the claims.

    “Pakistan maintains that the involvement of hostile agencies cannot be ruled out,” he was quoted as saying by Dawn.

    Sharing the details of the episode, Dr Faisal said that Zahir was a retired Pakistani officer who went missing in Nepal, where he had gone for a job interview in April 2017.

    The spokesperson added that according to his family, he had posted his CV on LinkedIn and the United Nations (UN) website for a job. “In response, he received a call and email from one Mark stating that he had been shortlisted for the job of vice president.”

    He was asked to visit Nepal and he was sent an Oman Airlines ticket for an interview on April 6, 2017.

    After landing in Nepal, which he visited for the first time in his life, he left Kathmandu airport (from where he had WhatsApped his pictures and boarding pass to his family), for Lumbini airport by Buddha Air.

    At 1300 hours, he messaged his wife from his mobile phone intimating that he had landed safely at Lumbini (a municipality 5 kilometres from the Indian border) after which his mobile appeared switched off and his family lost all contact with him.

    Investigations revealed that Mark’s United Kingdom (UK) cell number was fake and was actually an internet/computer-generated number. The website that he was contacted from was found to be operated from India and was subsequently taken down.

    The government of Nepal constituted a special team to look into his disappearance but there was no progress in the matter so far.

    In view of his disappearance from Lumbini and the involvement of Indian nationals (who reportedly received him at Lumbini, made his hotel reservations and booked his tickets), Pakistan also repeatedly reques­ted the government of India to assist in locating him.

    However, no positive response had been received from the Indian side.

  • VIDEO: Fawad Chaudhry wants to be Deputy Prime Minister?

    VIDEO: Fawad Chaudhry wants to be Deputy Prime Minister?

    Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry says that he told PM Khan that in countries like Korea, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, the ministers for science and technology are as powerful as a Deputy Prime Minister. (hint hint)

    When we asked Fawad whether he was joking or being serious, he said he meant it as a joke.

    Fawad’s counterparts in the countries he mentioned are:

    The Minister of Science and Tech in Korea is Dr Yanghee Choi since 2014 but doesn’t have an active Wikipedia page. He was previously the Chairman of Samsung Science and Tech Foundation.  

    Minister of Science and Tech in Singapore doesn’t exist. Science and Tech comes under the Ministry of Trade and Industry whose minister is Chan Chun Sing who is a former major general and also served as Singapore’s Chief of Army (Infantry).

    Yeo Bee Yin currently is the Minister of Energy, Science and Tech, Environment and Climate change in Malaysia. A member of parliament, one of her first initiatives was to ban on the import of plastic waste.

    Indonesia’s Science and Tech minister is professor. Mohamad Nasir was also the Dean of the Accounting program at a university and was involved in a major controversy in 2016 when he wanted to ban the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community on campus.

    Indonesia’s Science and Tech minister is professor. Mohamad Nasir was also the Dean of the Accounting program at a university and was involved in a major controversy in 2016 when he wanted to ban the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community on campus.

  • Pakistan to export cigarettes worth $50 million

    Pakistan to export cigarettes worth $50 million

    In a first, Pakistan has received a major export order for cigarettes worth $50 million from Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia.

    According to media reports, Pakistani tobacco companies had also received an import order earlier, however, they were unable to meet the quality standards and the entire stock had to be discarded.

    “All the standards set by the importers have now been met successfully and we are expecting the export of cigarettes to Middle Eastern countries to start by next month,” reports quoted sources in Pakistan Tobacco Board as saying.

    According to the report, Pakistan has a market share of around $25 million in the $80 billion trade of tobacco. The country has been exporting tobacco (unfinished) worth $25 million to the Middle East and some European countries, which is almost 30% of the tobacco being produced in the country.

    The rest of it is used locally.