Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Audit report reveals illegal hiring in PTA causing over Rs45 million loss

    Audit report reveals illegal hiring in PTA causing over Rs45 million loss

    The Auditor General of Pakistan’s annual audit report for 2023-2024 has revealed significant irregularities in the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), leading to a loss of over Rs 45million, Samaa reported.

    The report stated that illegal recruitment in the PTA during financial year 2022-23, including two assistant directors and one IT officer, took place without the presence of any relevant job posts.

    Generally, government job vacancies appear as advertisements in the newspapers but most recruitments in the PTA did not adhere to established criteria.

    The audit report highlighted that the PTA has paid Rs 45.9 million in salaries and perks to these alleged illegal recruitments.

  • Students ‘inciting violence’ can face cancellation of their identity cards, passports

    Students ‘inciting violence’ can face cancellation of their identity cards, passports

    The Interior Ministry has announced that strict measures will be taken against students involved in or promoting violent activities, including their names being added to the Fourth Schedule.

    According to Section 11EE of the ATA, the Fourth Schedule is to include “any person who is an activist, office-bearer or an associate of an organisation kept under observation … or proscribed … or … affiliated with any group or organisation suspected to be involved in terrorism or sectarianism.”

    If an individual’s name is added to the Fourth Schedule, many of his/her constitutional rights are suspended, such as the cancellation of the identity cards and passports, prohibition from leaving their city, and denial of character certificates from any educational institution.

    The notification issued by the Interior Ministry emphasised that departments should be ready for action against potential troublemakers, The News reported.

    Last week, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced that it would launch a movement for the restoration of the Constitution and revival of the student unions in the country.

  • ‘Interviews have begun for technocratic setup,’ Sheikh Rasheed claims

    ‘Interviews have begun for technocratic setup,’ Sheikh Rasheed claims

    Former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has claimed that a technocratic setup may take over by September 20 this year because “interviews have begun.”

    Rasheed, while talking to the media outside Adiala Jail, lamented, “It has been two years and 14 cases have been filed against me, but I’ve received no challans yet.”

    The former Interior Minister described his feelings saying, “They said I’ve lost 40kg weight. I never thought the Gate No 4 people would pick me up. The police took our women’s jewellery, my watches and shoes too.”

    He requested the people with whom he had a “decades long relation” and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir to declare amnesty.

    Sheikh Rasheed further stated, “August 31 is significant; the government is packing its bags. Technocratic government can come by September 20, and whatever happens, it will be bad.”

  • Government to introduce 5-year economic plan under supervision of British economist Stefan Dercon

    Government to introduce 5-year economic plan under supervision of British economist Stefan Dercon

    A five-year economic plan for the development of Pakistan’s struggling economy has been prepared under the supervision of Belgian-British economist Stefan Dercon. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to launch it on August 14.

    Geo News reported that the proposed economic plan has been named the Stefan Dercon plan. It contains target of 6 percent annual economic growth target by 2028.

    The ambitious plan also emphasises on structural reforms to take the export target to $60 billion by 2028.

    The proposed plan prioritises the promotion of private investment and the increase in exports. The successful implementation of reforms is estimated to create one million employment opportunities annually.

    According to the Dercon Plan, the proposed plan’s results would be fairly visible by 2028, one year after the IMF programme ends.

    “The failure of structural reforms for growth in Pakistan is not due to a lack of ideas, but a lack of political will to implement these reforms,” warns the draft report.

    It also warns that Pakistan won’t get chances like this; therefore, the opportunity must not be wasted.

  • Political stability cannot be achieved with rigged elections, says Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

    Political stability cannot be achieved with rigged elections, says Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

    The Awam Pakistan (AP) party convener, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, has stated that political stability cannot be achieved in a country with rigged elections.

    “Every system in the world has been tried in this country, and now it’s time to turn to the Constitution,” the former Prime Minister said during the launch of the ‘Foundation and Vision Document’ event for the (AP) manifesto.

    “The country doesn’t function because no one adheres to their oaths,” he opined.
    While talking about the economy, he noted, “The state of the economy today is the same as it was ten years ago.”
    Abbasi mentioned that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) might be an issue, but the real problem is the economy’s failure.
    Former finance minister Miftah Ismail was also present at the event. He said the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award should be reviewed.

    “The government is providing Rs 109 billion to cover the losses of the railways. We bear these losses because the railways operate for the benefit of its employees and officers, not for the public,” he added

  • CJ-led SC bench reinstates three PML-N leaders’ NA membership

    CJ-led SC bench reinstates three PML-N leaders’ NA membership

    A three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, restored the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order to recount three Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members constituency results while reinstating them.

    The SC bench declared the Lahore High Court’s decision null and void while hearing the recount petitions of three different polling stations of NA-154, NA-81, and NA-79.

    However, the decision was made with a majority of 2-1, with Justice Aqeel Abbasi issuing a dissenting note.

    The court reinstated the election commission’s decision regarding the recount of votes for three PML-N members: Azhar Qayyum Nahra, Abdul Rehman Kanju, and Zulfiqar Ahmed.

  • Imran Khan hurt Pakistani sports, says Mansoor Ali Khan

    Imran Khan hurt Pakistani sports, says Mansoor Ali Khan

    Journalist Mansoor Ali Khan has taken exception towards political parties, particularly Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on his podcast, criticising them for trying to take credit for Arshad Nadeem’s big win at Olympics 2024.

    “Imran Khan closed down all the departments. Go and take a look to find out how many athletes left sports in Khan’s era,” exclaimed Mansoor when he recalled that PTI supporters were crediting Imran Khan for supporting Arshad.

    Mansoor stated that Khan hurt Pakistan’s sports industry at unprecedented levels. Meanwhile, the journalist also lashed out at the ruling PML-N for doing the same.

    He recalled the poor facilities of professional swimming sports in Punjab, underscoring that the government had done nothing to support the athletes.

  • Omar Ayub calls on institutions to stay within constitutional limits

    Omar Ayub calls on institutions to stay within constitutional limits

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Omar Ayub lashed out at military and spy agencies on Saturday, calling on the state institutions to “stay within limits.”

    “Politicians are also bound to do their politics within the constitutional parameters,” said the PTI leader while talking to media in Lahore.

    He also clarified that no deal has been struck between Imran Khan and the establishment, blaming the ruling coalition for trying to create rifts between the army and the nation.

    Meanwhile, another top PTI leader, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said in a conversation with reporters at Kot Lakh Pat jail that he has been in politics for 41 years. However, not a single case had been registered against him. But after 9 May, he faced several cases.

    “A dozen cases were lodged against me in a year. Whether anyone likes it or not, Imran Khan is a reality. There will be no stability if they do not accept this reality.”

    Commenting on cooling political heat, the former foreign minister said national leaders should bar themselves from calling their rivals ‘’traitors’’.

    He further stated, ‘’We have been distributing traitors certificates for 75 years.”

  • Social media angry at The Economist magazine for alleged removal of Palestine flag

    Social media angry at The Economist magazine for alleged removal of Palestine flag

    The Economist, a British weekly news magazine, published this week’s issue with a picture of the Bangladesh students’ protest on the front page of its magazine, alongside the headline, “Bangladesh Begins Again.”

    However, social media users pointed out a significant difference between the pictures used by the magazine and the same pictures available on the internet. The picture that wasn’t used by The Economist had protestors raising a Palestine flag along with the Bangladesh flag.

    Earlier this week, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, resigned and fled the country as massive protests gripped the nation. The protests, which initially started as student protests against civil service job quotas, spiralled into demands for Hasina to quit after more than 200 people were killed in the violence.

    Social media was abuzz with footage of Bangladeshi youth tearing down the statues of their country’s founding father, Sheikh Mujeeb ur Rehman, marking the end of Hasina’s almost 15 years of rule.

  • PMLN Sindh President to replace Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori

    PMLN Sindh President to replace Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori

    Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) and its coalition government ally, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), have agreed to change the Governor of Sindh, Kamran Khan Tesori.

    According to a Geo News source, the incumbent Sindh governor could be replaced by PML-N Sindh president and former head of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Bashir Memon.

    While responding to the report, MQM denied that the Governor will be changed.

    A spokesperson of MQM said, ‘’The Centre has not contacted us yet in this regard’.”

    PPP Sindh General Secretary Waqar Mehdi said, ‘’Kamran Tessori better go on leave until the PMLN chooses the new Governor of Sindh’’.

    In April this year, sources made similar claims that former Sindh caretaker chief minister Justice (retired) Maqbool Baqar could be appointed governor of Sindh.