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  • ‘Rising prices, higher taxes’: Honda halts production in Pakistan

    ‘Rising prices, higher taxes’: Honda halts production in Pakistan

    As car sales drop amid rising prices due to the imposition of higher taxes and rupee depreciation, Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan (HACP) has halted production in the country for 10 days, Dawn reported Saturday.

    According to reports, HACP shut down its plant for 10 days as its inventories piled up to 2,000 units while Indus Motor Company (IMC), which produces Toyota models in Pakistan, has also decided to stop car production for eight days, two days every week, during this month.

    The report quoted HACP and IMC executives as saying that their decision to scale down production during July was informed by plummeting sales in the first 10 days of the month.

    “Our inventories from the last month and the first 10 days of July have grown rapidly because of the steep increase in car prices after currency devaluation as well as the imposition of Advance Customs Duty (ACD) on all our imports and Federal Excise Duty (FED) on assembled cars,” an HACP senior executive said.

    “It has left us with no option but to shut down the plant to cut production. If the present trend holds, we expect our sales to drop to less than 30,000 units this business year (April 2019-March 2020) from over 48,000 units last year.”

    An IMC official also gave the same reasons for “observing eight no-production days” during July. The executive, however, did not give the size of inventory the company has built so far, saying the production cuts could increase next month if sales do not pick up.

  • ‘Drugs likely planted in Rana Sanaullah’s car’

    ‘Drugs likely planted in Rana Sanaullah’s car’

    Members of Senate Standing Committee on Narcotics Control have doubted the government’s version that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Rana Sanaullah had 15 kilograms of drugs worth Rs220 million in his car, Dawn reported.

    Sanaullah was arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) earlier this month after the stash was discovered in his vehicle while travelling via the Faisalabad-Lahore Motorway.

    Protesting against the apprehension, members of opposition parties condemned the episode as they argued that the MNA was arrested without any allegation and case against him. They termed it the “worst example of lawlessness and political revenge”.

    “There is a general scare that anyone can plant drugs in anyone’s car. The matter has been hushed up. We want to know exact details of the case of Rana Sanaullah’s arrest,” said PML-N Senator Saleem Zia, who raised the issue during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Narcotics Control on Friday.

    “Why would a politician and a former law minister be carrying drugs with him and that too in such huge quantities?” Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Anwar Lal Dean asked senior officials from the Narcotics Ministry and the ANF.

    While the senators implied that the drugs were planted in Sanaullah’s car, ANF Director General (DG) Major General Mohammad Arif Malik urged them to not make assumptions.

    “The minister for narcotics has already given a briefing on the matter. It would be unreasonable to assume that drugs were planted on him [Sanaullah]. Members should either come forward with proof that he was framed or believe the version of the ANF that drugs were recovered from him,” he was quoted as saying.

  • Old tweet comes back to bite PM Imran’s govt

    Old tweet comes back to bite PM Imran’s govt

    With the tragic train accident in Sadiqabad claiming over 20 lives, an old tweet of the now ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has come back to haunt the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led government.

    At least 24 people were killed and over 100 injured when the Akbar Bugti Express travelling from Lahore to Quetta on Thursday collided with a stationary freight train at the Walhar Railway Station.

    It wasn’t later that opposition leaders stepped up to seek Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed’s resignation.

    Blaming human negligence for the accident, Rasheed rubbished the opposition’s demands. “I will step down if [PM] Imran Khan asks me to do so,” a private media outlet quoted the minister as saying.

    However, soon after the opposition parties’ demand made headlines, an old PTI tweet quoting its chief started doing rounds on social media.

    “All over the world, just on an incident of railway accidents, minister resigns. This is real democracy, says Imran Khan [sic],” the tweet from August 2014 stated. It had come as Imran demanded Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and then railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique’s resignation.

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

    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.

  • PTI leader ‘who inserted iron rod into driver’s rectum’ becomes HR focal person

    PTI leader ‘who inserted iron rod into driver’s rectum’ becomes HR focal person

    Mir Iftikhar Ahmed Khan Lund, who allegedly violated his poor driver by inserting an iron rod into his rectum, has been appointed as a human rights focal person by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    According to a Human Rights Ministry notification dated July 10, Minister Shireen Mazari has appointed Lund as a focal person on the issues of human rights in Sindh.

    “He shall assist the office of the federal minister on the issues of human rights while keeping liaison with relevant stakeholders,” the notification read.

    While the appointment is “purely voluntary without the ministry bearing any expenses”, the news has taken social media by storm owing to the gross violation allegedly committed by Lund in April.

    Lawyer and activist Mohammad Jibran Nasir was among the first to point out.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BzyDlAyna1P/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    THE ASSAULT:

    As per the details, a van driver named Allah Rakhio was allegedly assaulted and meted out inhumane punishment in Sindh’s Ghotki district on the orders of his employer, Lund, and his three relatives.

    According to the victim’s son, Zahid Hussain Rakhio, his father had a disagreement with Shafiq Lund, following which he was called to Iftikhar’s residence where he was mercilessly beaten up by Shafiq, Rafiq Lund and Mumtaz Ali Lund in Iftikhar’s presence.

    Injured Rakhio called Hussain, who took him to the hospital, where he received eight stitches on his private parts. A video of Rakhio lying on his back on a stretcher and narrating his ordeal was also widely shared over the internet.

    FIR AGAINST LUND:

    A First Information Report (FIR) against Iftikhar, Mumtaz, Shafiq and Rafiq on the victim’s complaint was filed at the Khanpur Mahar police station.

    The FIR was filed under sections 324 (attempt to commit qatle amd), 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour a person), 147 (punishment for rioting) and 143 (punishment for being a member of unlawful assembly).

    Hussain, however, claims that police have not yet made any arrests and are trying to brush the incident under the carpet.

    Picture of the victim published with his consent

  • ‘Judge who convicted Nawaz to be removed from post’

    ‘Judge who convicted Nawaz to be removed from post’

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has decided to sack Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik, who convicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia corruption reference, a private media outlet reported Friday. 

    Earlier, the judge had written a letter to the IHC, refuting Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz’s allegations and the leaked tapes that purportedly showed him admitting to sentencing Nawaz after being blackmailed.

    PML-N leadership last Saturday had released the tapes that allegedly showed Malik confessing in front of a party worker named Nasir Butt.

    In the tapes, the judge was heard claiming he was coerced to hand down the prison sentence against the former PM despite there being no proof of corruption against him.

    In a subsequent press release, Malik had denied the contents of the video and termed them as edited, fabricated and aimed to defame him. He, however, had admitted knowing the PML-N worker and his brother.

    Meanwhile, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb has demanded that Nawaz’s sentence be nullified and the former premier be immediately released.

  • What Babar Azam & Imam Ul Haq have to say on Sarfaraz’s yawn

    What Babar Azam & Imam Ul Haq have to say on Sarfaraz’s yawn

  • Caretaker information, law minister joins PTI

    Caretaker information, law minister joins PTI

    Former caretaker minister for information, broadcasting and law Barrister Syed Ali Zafar on Thursday announced to join the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Radio Pakistan reported.

    According to reports, Zafar made the formal announcement during his meeting with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan in Islamabad, following which the premier welcomed him on-board.

    Punjab Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) and former senior minister Abdul Aleem Khan was also present on the occasion.

    Barrister Zafar is a renowned law expert and has also served as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). He was the information, broadcasting and law minister in Justice (r) Nasirul Mulk’s caretaker setup ahead of last year’s general election.

  • Kohli’s diet includes imported water only

    Kohli’s diet includes imported water only

    Devastated by India’s defeat to New Zealand, which kicked them out of the World Cup, Captain Virat Kohli said “forty-five minutes of bad cricket put us out”, and although we’re all secretly very happy India is out of the running, we should appreciate the fitness of the Indian team captain.

    How does Kohli stay so fit?

    Kohli eats home cooked food, avoids junk food, likes nuts with black coffee and is keen on the protein.

    When he’s on the field he likes to snack on roasted channas (chick peas) for a protein surge.

    He also only drinks Evian, imported from France to stay free of any water borne diseases.

    Kohli believes in substituting snacks with healthy food, like fries for wheat crackers, and carries nuts around with him so he can snack when hes hungry.

    He prefers egg white omelettes, soups and salads and high protein meals like chicken and salmon. He also believes in exercising every day, without fail.

    On the other hand, Pak’s cricket captain Sarfaraz loves his biryani (in moderation) and beef korma with sheer maal. And despite Sarfaraz’s love for food and Kohli’s strict regime, Sarfaraz managed four runs against New Zealand and Kohli was out at one run.

  • 2800cc luxury car worth Rs8 million imported for KP minister

    2800cc luxury car worth Rs8 million imported for KP minister

    Amid the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s claims of continuing its austerity drive to save taxpayers’ money, a luxury car worth Rs8 million (Rs8,000,000) has been imported for a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) minister.

    According to Dunya News, the 2800cc luxury car has been imported for KP Information Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, who is only entitled to an 1800cc vehicle.

    It was decided that a double cabin worth around Rs5.5 million would be imported, however, the minister insisted on getting the luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV), reports said.

    The move comes despite Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan pushing for austerity measures to reduce the burden on the national exchequer ever since he assumed office last year.

    The austerity drive has faced multiple setbacks over the past 10 months owing to the apparent reluctance of the lawmakers in cutting down expenses.

  • Gandapur mistakes GTA V video for real-life footage, praises pilot for ‘narrow escape’

    Gandapur mistakes GTA V video for real-life footage, praises pilot for ‘narrow escape’

    Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur has shared the video of a simulation from popular video game Grand Theft Auto (GTA) V, assuming it to be real.

    Tweeting the video which showed a plane miraculously avoiding colliding with an oil tanker as it descended on the runway, Gandapur wrote, “Narrow escape of an aircraft which could have ended in a great disaster. Miraculous save by the pilot’s presence of mind.”

    The clip had originally been shared to Youtube on June 20 by The UiGamer, who has amassed millions of views with clearly labelled videos of plane stunts on GTA V.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://twitter.com/securepakistan/status/1147489515071836166

    While Khurram mistook the animated video for a real-life clip, Twitterati did not and most of them were quick to troll anyone who thought it was actually a “miraculous save”.

    “As if our politicians are super intelligent,” one said while suggesting in a joke the United States (US) might sell virtual fighter jets to Pakistan instead of F-16s. “These innocuous mistakes are what we live for,” another wrote.