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  • India using toy bombs to target children in Neelum Valley: report

    India using toy bombs to target children in Neelum Valley: report

    Cluster toy bombs, which are being traced back to India, have been recovered from near the Line of Control (LoC) in Neelum Valley, ARY News reported Saturday.

    According to reports, the toy bombs were placed in the peripheries of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), near the Working Boundary (WB) of the two countries. WB is the line where Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) meets Pakistan’s border.

    The bombs, reports said, have so far killed three, including a four-year-old child, besides injuring 11 others.

    Cluster bombs have been banned under the Geneva Convention, which India is a signatory of.

    Shaped like harmless toys, they can be devastating after detonation — exploding into millions of razor-sharp blades that pierce through whatever stands within its range.

  • Pakpattan’s woman SHO solves 200 rape cases in two months

    Pakpattan’s woman SHO solves 200 rape cases in two months

    Pakpattan district’s first woman Station House Officer (SHO), Kulsoom Fatima, has solved 200 rape and sexual abuse cases within just two months of her appointment, BBC Urdu reported.

    In an interview to BBC, she said that the incidents of sexual abuse of minor girls made her angry, but she was not able to do anything at that time.

    “I got the opportunity. I was appointed as a sub-inspector in Punjab Police after passing the competitive exams,” Fatima said, adding that she had earlier hoped to be in the position one day so she could do something for the little survivours.

    The cop said that she was handed over cases related to women and minor girls — a task she always wanted.

    Pakpattan District Police Officer (DPO) Ibadat Nisar had appointed Fatima as SHO at Model Police Station Daloryam. He said that the appointment of women officers in Pakpattan has helped in dispensing justice to people.

  • Sri Lankan cricket team likely to visit Pakistan for test series in October

    The Sri Lankan circket team is likely to visit Pakistan in October to play a two-match test series, Cricket Pakistan has reported.

    According to reports, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed the dates of their security delegation’s arrival in Pakistan on a three-day visit. The delegation will begin its evaluation with a trip to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad on August 7, 8 and 9, respectively.

    It will assess the security situation in the country ahead of providing its recommendations to the SLC.

    They will visit the stadiums and hotels in the three major cities and will be briefed by local security officials as well. SLC, on the basis of those recommendations, will decide whether to tour Pakistan or not.

    “I’m confident that the delegation will be satisfied with the security arrangements in Pakistan and hopefully we will soon see red-ball cricket on home soil,” reports quoted Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani as saying.

    Pakistan, since the unfortunate attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in March 2009, has not hosted any test series.

  • Foreign cricketers refuse to play entire PSL in Pakistan

    Foreign cricketers refuse to play entire PSL in Pakistan

    Foreign cricketers have refused to play the fifth season of the Habib Bank Limited (HBL) Pakistan Super League (PSL) scheduled to be entirely held in Pakistan next year, Cricket Pakistan reported Friday.

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier said that the fifth edition of the PSL will entirely be played in the country and is expected to take place from February 20 to March 22.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani insisted that there are no concerns regarding hosting the entire HBL PSL in Pakistan.

    “I took the approval of PCB’s patron-in-chief regarding holding the tournament in Pakistan, after consulting all franchise owners,” Mani said, adding that he had invited team owners for a meeting next week on Monday in Lahore, where the matter would be discussed again.

    “Till now, no franchise has shown any reservations, so there is no possibility of shifting the matches anywhere else,” he added.

    However, according to reports, franchises want to hold at least half of the PSL 5 matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as they feel it is currently not viable to play the entire season in the country.

    They are of the view that it will be difficult to convince foreign players to stay in Pakistan for a longer period of time.

  • Senator vs ISPR: Army rejects claims that Senate vote was ‘hijacked by ISI’

    Senator vs ISPR: Army rejects claims that Senate vote was ‘hijacked by ISI’

    Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor has rubbished Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo’s remarks that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief was “involved in manipulating the results” of the no-confidence motion against the Senate chairman.

    The National Party president and losing candidate for Senate chairman slot had on Thursday accused the country’s premier spy agency of hijacking the Senate vote by indulging in horse-trading.

    “Remarks by Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo implicating head of national premier institution are unfounded,” the military spokesperson tweeted Thursday night.

    “The tendency to bring [the] entire democratic process into disrepute for petty political gains doesn’t serve democracy,” he added.

    The response came as Bizenjo’s reply to a journalist’s query, following his shocking defeat in the upper house, started doing rounds over the internet.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “[ISI DG] General Faiz’s people are behind this,” he was heard as saying when asked to name those responsible for the defeat.

    Earlier in the day, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani survived a no-confidence resolution tabled against him by the joint opposition.

    The opposition’s no-trust motion against Sanjrani failed to receive the 53 votes required for his removal even though at the start of the session, 64 senators had stood up in support of the motion.

    Following the secret balloting, it was revealed that the motion received only 50 votes in its favour.

  • ‘Petrol should be sold at Rs58 per litre, demands Imran Khan’

    ‘Petrol should be sold at Rs58 per litre, demands Imran Khan’

    With Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan approving the Rs5.15 hike in petrol price, yet another tweet from the past has come back to haunt the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    On Wednesday night, the premier approved an Oil and Gas Development Authority (OGRA) summary recommending an increase in per litre prices of all petroleum products.

    The prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene oil and light diesel were jacked up by Rs5.15, Rs5.65, Rs5.38 and Rs8.90, respectively.

    With people starting to express their frustration over the development that could result in yet another inflation bomb, some took to Twitter to share a statement by the premier from back when he sat in the parliament on opposition benches.

    “Petrol should be sold at Rs58 per litre, demands @ImranKhanPTI [sic],” the 2015 tweet on PTI’s official handle read.

    This isn’t the first time an old tweet has come back to bite the PTI government.

    “All over the world, just on an incident of railway accidents, minister resigns. This is real democracy, says Imran Khan [sic],” a tweet from August 2014 stated.

    It had started making rounds last month after the tragic train accident in Sadiqabad, which claimed over 20 lives.

    Prior to this, as PM Imran reached China amid Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) nationwide protests last year, a 2012 tweet of his, went viral. In the tweet, he had criticised the then premier for traveling abroad as the country “burned”.

    It was aimed at criticising former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, who had traveled to China for the Boao Forum while violence linked to sectarian, ethnic and political tensions continued in different parts of the country.

  • Numbers’ game: Opp likely to defeat govt in Senate showdown

    Numbers’ game: Opp likely to defeat govt in Senate showdown

    All eyes are on the upper house of the parliament on Thursday as senators from opposition parties, in a first, attempt to oust through a no-confidence motion its chairman, who enjoys the support of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led ruling coalition.

    According to the numbers’ game, the joint opposition is in a comfortable numerical position to turn the tables on the senators from treasury benches and remove Sadiq Sanjrani.

    The opposition parties, in the 103-member house, enjoy the support of 67 senators while the governing alliance has the backing of 36 members.

    The chairman can be removed by the majority of the total membership, and so, the support of at least 52 senators will be required to carry the no-trust motion.

    OPPOSITION:

    The opposition alliance in the upper house comprises of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 30 senators, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) with 20, Mir Hasil Khan’s National Party (NP) with five members, Jamiat Ulemae Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) with four senators, Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) of Mehmood Achakzai with four and Asfandyar Wali’s Awami National Party (ANP) with one member.

    With the inclusion of two senators from Jamaate Islami Pakistan (JIP) and an independent senator, the tally stands at 67. However, PML-N’s Ishaq Dar has still not taken oath and the two belonging to JIP have reportedly decided to abstain from the proceedings.

    GOVERNMENT:

    The government alliance, on the other hand, is in a weaker position, with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) 14 senators. Its ally Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has five, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) has eight and Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) have one senator each in the house.

    Seven independent senators also sit on the government benches.

    While the opposition alliance is apparently in a stronger position, the primary condition remains that all opposition members, in the secret ballot, cast their votes in the favour of the consensus nominee that is Bizenjo.

  • PM Imran’s US trip cost taxpayers Rs11 million

    PM Imran’s US trip cost taxpayers Rs11 million

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s visit to the United States (US) has cost the national treasury around Rs11 million ($67,180), it was revealed Thursday.

    According to the breakdown of expenses released by the government, Rs1.35 million were spent on accommodation for PM’s 27-member delegation, while the PM chose to stay at Pakistan Embassy.

    An amount of Rs92,120 were incurred on transport, Rs142,000 on gifts, Rs6,075,800 on airfare, miscellaneous expenditures stood at Rs1,287,460, tips at Rs706,001 and meals at Rs1,389,077.

    There was no TA/DA for any official and the ministers accompanying PM Imran.

    WAY LESS THAN NAWAZ, ZARDARI’S EXPENSES:

    The premier set an example of simplicity and austerity by saving millions of rupees of the national exchequer as he spent much less than the visits of former PM Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari.

    His spendings were 11 times less than Zardari and eight times less than Nawaz, who spent $752,688 and $549,853 on their visits to the US, respectively.

    Earlier, PM Imran travelled to the US on a commercial flight instead of a special aircraft. He stayed at the residence of Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington DC instead of a 7-star hotel, while he bore his family’s expenditure himself.

    His visit was termed a success owing to the mammoth crowd he pulled at Washington’s Capital One Arena and his meeting with President Donald Trump wherein the two leaders forged good chemistry.

  • Tareen’s Multan Sultans played PSL 4 without depositing franchise fee

    Tareen’s Multan Sultans played PSL 4 without depositing franchise fee

    Ali Khan Tareen’s Multan Sultans participated in the fourth edition of the Habib Bank Limited (HBL) Pakistan Super League (PSL) without depositing the mandatory franchise fee, Cricket Pakistan reported.

    Tareen-led Multan Consortium had won the franchise rights for the sixth team of the cricketing tournament, however, reports claim that the annual franchise fee of $6.35 million has not yet been paid to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    According to PSL rules and regulations, every franchise is required to deposit the fee before the start of the season. But despite the passage of over four months since the league’s final match, Sultans have not yet cleared the dues.

    “Multan Sultans is in compliance of their franchise agreement,” the report quoted PCB as saying while neither confirming nor denying the news.

    Meanwhile, Tareen tweeted:

    PCB had previously terminated the franchise agreement of the Multan Sultans franchise ahead of the fourth season. The termination was brought about due to the franchise’s inability to meet its financial obligations under the agreement.

    In the new bidding process, the PCB had set the reserve price at $5.21 million per annum for a period of seven years. This reserve price had been exceeded by the Ali Tareen-led group.

    The new owners had decided to continue with the same name for the franchise.

  • ‘Pakistan Post entering $34.2bn logistics market, expecting investment up to $1.5bn’

    ‘Pakistan Post entering $34.2bn logistics market, expecting investment up to $1.5bn’

    Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed has said that Pakistan Post was entering the country’s logistics market, which at present is worth $34.2 billion and is growing at a rate of more than 18 per cent per year.

    “Pakistan Post is expecting up to $1.5 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on public-private partnership model for its capacity building in the logistic sector,” Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) quoted the minister as saying.

    FDI is an investment in the form of a controlling ownership in a business in one country by an entity based in another country.

    Within past one year, Pakistan Post has introduced revolutionary initiatives, including Electronic Money Order (EMO) at doorstep, Mobile App, E-Commerce and Same Day Delivery services, to improve efficiency and expand its network across the globe.

    According to Pakistan Post Director General (DG) Dr Naseer Ahmed Khan, the national postal operator is adopting new communication and information technologies to move further.

    He said that on the special directives of the federal minister, Pakistan Post has initiated inclusive measures to develop a better perception of its services among the public by ensuring timely delivery of mail, money and other articles.