Current Final

Category: Politics

  • Pakistan Navy thwarts Indian submarine’s attempt to enter Pak waters: ISPR

    Pakistan Navy thwarts Indian submarine’s attempt to enter Pak waters: ISPR

    Pakistan Navy has once again thwarted an attempt by an Indian submarine to enter into Pakistani waters.

    The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the incident took place on October 16, adding that the Indian naval submarine has been prematurely detected and tracked by the PN Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

    “During the prevailing security milieu, a strict monitoring watch has been kept by Pakistan Navy to safeguard maritime frontiers of Pakistan,” says the ISPR statement.

    The ISPR pointed out that this is the third incident of its kind wherein an Indian submarine has been “prematurely detected and tracked by PN Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft”.

    “The recent incident reflects the deplorable Indian machinations vis-à-vis the commitment and resolve of the Pakistan Navy to defend maritime frontiers of the motherland,” said the ISPR. 

  • Govt to reduce taxes on food items: reports

    The government has reportedly decided to reduce taxes on the prices of food items, Ayaz Akbar Yousafzai reported for Geo News.

    According to sources, a meeting was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to review the rising inflation and the overall economic situation in the country. The impact of the rising prices of petroleum products was also discussed in the meeting. 

    During the meeting, PM Khan issued orders to the federal ministers to take steps for the implementation of Price Control Committees.

    The premier also directed the ministers to keep an eye on the artificial price hike in their constituencies and to take strict measures against hoarders 

    Commodity prices have gone up in recent weeks.

    Addressing a news conference on Monday, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said the government had decided to reduce GST rate and customs duty by half to 8.5 per cent and would abolish 2 per cent additional customs duty to cut cooking oil prices by Rs45 per kilo.

    He said that the decision would be implemented on the return of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin.

  • ARY UK apologises to Ishaq Dar on air over fabricated allegations

    ARY UK apologises to Ishaq Dar on air over fabricated allegations

    A private channel New Vision TV, the broadcaster of ARY UK, has issued an apology on air to the former finance minister Ishaq Dar, who is currently residing in London.

    In an apology aired by ARY UK, the channel said, “We unconditionally apologise to Ishaq Dar for the significant distress, upset and embarrassment which these broadcasts have caused him.”

    “Dar never managed the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU), never impeded its work, nor did he do anything to protect anybody in any case including the alleged Chaudhry Sugar Mills case”.

    According to Dawn, the defamatory remarks were made in two news shows which were aired in 2019. A transcript of the Special Minister Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar’s claims on the show that Dar did not allow the FMU to function.  It was also alleged that Dar had taken these steps to protect individuals involved in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills money laundering case.

    Sources told Dawn that Dar issued proceedings against the channel in July 2020 and later served a claim in the UK High Court. In 2021, ARY UK made an offer for amends — a procedure in which a defendant in an action for defamation may make a written offer to publish an apology and pay damages. Acceptance of such an offer terminates defamation proceedings and parties settle the matter between themselves.

    Dar along with a restriction and an apology had claimed damages for libel of around 200,000 pounds.

    In a statement shared with Dawn, the former minister said, “I have never been involved in corruption or any unlawful activity and never used any influence against any institution. The allegations made by the pro-government media house and Shahzad Akbar were aimed at damaging my reputation but Allah SWT has been most kind and the TV channel has accepted in the UK judicial process that the allegations were fabricated, false and untrue. The TV channel has accepted that I was maligned and nothing wrong has been done by me.”

  • Indian retailer Fabindia withdraws Diwali ad after backlash from Hindu groups

    Indian retailer Fabindia withdraws Diwali ad after backlash from Hindu groups

    Indian retailer Fabindia, which sells home furnishings, furniture, clothes and food, has withdrawn an ad about a new Diwali line after backlash from right-wing Hindu groups, reported BBC.

    Social media users accused the ad of using Urdu — a language spoken by many Muslims in India — to celebrate a collection for the Hindu festival of Diwali.

    #BoycottFabIndia trended on Twitter in India on Monday after Fabindia called Diwali “Jashn-e-Riwaaz” (celebration of tradition) in a tweet. Following the tweet, many social media users called for a boycott of the company, claiming that the Urdu phrase had been used to hurt sentiments of the Hindu community.

    A spokesperson from Fabindia told the Times of India newspaper that Jashn-e-Riwaaz was not its Diwali collection.

    The tweet, which went viral on Monday, said: “As we welcome the festival of love and light, Jashn-e-Riwaaz by Fabindia is a collection that beautifully pays homage to Indian culture.” The tweet has since been deleted and the ad has also been withdrawn.

    Fabindia’s deleted tweet

    This is not the first time an Indian brand had to withdraw ads following backlash from right-wing Hindu groups. Last year in October, popular Indian jewellery brand Tanishq had to withdraw an advertisement featuring an interfaith couple after a right-wing backlash on social media.

    A recent advert by clothing brand Manyaavar featuring Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt in a wedding attire also caused a social media furore. The ad, which appeared to question an old tradition (Kanya Daan), received widespread backlash as it was seen as an attack on Hindu wedding rituals.

  • Shahzeb Khanzada warns of December crisis, Hammad Azhar ignores question in heated debate

    Shahzeb Khanzada warns of December crisis, Hammad Azhar ignores question in heated debate

    Energy Minister Hammad Azhar appeared in Geo News’ programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath on Monday, during which the minister indulged in a heated debate with the host of the programme, Shahzeb Khanzada.

    During the show, Khanzada asked Azhar about the expected shortfall of gas in the winter season but the minister refused to answer the question. The minister kept refusing to answer the question about an expected gas crisis in December saying that he will appear again to talk about it.

    The federal minister said that he has only come to talk about the facts presented on Friday’s episode of the programme. The host mentioned that in Friday’s programme, he did talk about the expected shortfall of gas in the winter.

    The show on Friday, October 15, shared data from a report, compiled by Nepra, on the performance of the Ministry of Energy and asked the question: why is the ministry delaying the purchase of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is costing the public dearly.

    Khanzada claimed earlier that he had invited the minister on his show 27 times, but the minister refused to come.

    Earlier in Friday’s show, Khanzada warned of the expected gas shortage during the winter season as Pakistan will not have the required number of LNG cargoes. He explained that during the winter season the government will only have 10 LNG cargoes. The government has the capacity to have 14 LNG cargoes but in the winter, the demand for LNG is more than 14 cargoes.

  • US envoy to Afghanistan resigns two months after chaotic withdrawal

    US envoy to Afghanistan resigns two months after chaotic withdrawal

    United States envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad is stepping down, the State Department has announced, less than two months after the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover of the country, reported Al Jazeera.

    Zalmay Khalilzad led the US dialogue with the Taliban. The Taliban took control in August after capturing the capital Kabul.

    In a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Zalmay Khalilzad acknowledged that “the political arrangement between the Afghan government and the Taliban did not go forward as envisaged”, reports BBC.

    “The reasons for this are too complex and I will share my thoughts in the coming days and weeks,” he wrote, saying he was stepping aside as the US entered the “new phase of our Afghanistan policy”.

    He added that he was “saddened” for the Afghan people given the current outcome.

    Khalilzad will be replaced by his deputy, Tom West, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Monday, noting that West will work closely with the US embassy, which is now based in Doha, on US interests in Afghanistan.

  • PDM announces nationwide protests against inflation from October 20

    PDM announces nationwide protests against inflation from October 20

    Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday announced countrywide protests against rising inflation and poor economic policies from October 20, reports Dawn.

    Speaking to the media after the PDM meeting, Maulana Fazl said that the nation is suffering due to high inflation, adding that the PDM stands with the public shoulder to shoulder.

    “Rallies and demonstrations will begin from the district level while all PDM component parties will meet at the provincial level. PDM will lead rallies and demonstrations, stand shoulder to shoulder with people and get them their due rights,” Maulana Fazl said.

    “We will go a step further and hold wheel-jams and long march, but step by step,” he said and also called for fresh general elections in the country.

    “We are not discussing local bodies polls – the main issue is holding of free and fair general elections in the country. There is no reason of holding local government elections when there is no legitimate government in the country,” said Maulana Fazl.

  • ‘All is settled, new DG ISI notification to be issued this week’: Fawad

    ‘All is settled, new DG ISI notification to be issued this week’: Fawad

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said, “All the matters have been resolved” and announced that the notification of the new director-general (DG) Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency would be issued this week.

    Chaudhry denied speculations that a new summary with names of candidates for the position of ISI chief had been sent to the Prime Minister (PM), reported Dawn.

    While mocking the Opposition, Fawad said, “It [Opposition] is thinking that there are some differences between the government and security institutions but its euphoria is gradually fading.”

    Fawad also invited the Opposition to work collectively with the government but rejected any possibility of holding discussions with its leaders on corruption cases.

    On inflation, Chaudhry said, “We don’t live on another planet. If there is a worldwide increase in the prices of oil, then we will also witness a hike in the prices.”

  • Eid Milad-ul-Nabi: PM, President extend greetings to nation

    On the occasion of Eid Milad-ul-Nabi: Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Dr Arif Alvi, among others, have extended their greetings to the nation.

    Imran Khan, in his message said that the arrival of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) in the world brought a revolution in every aspect of human society, Radio Pakistan has reported.

    He said it was the affect of the life of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) that Arab tribes who were victims of internal chaos for centuries, emerged as a nation.

    The Prime Minister said in this state system, minorities were protected, poor and needy were taken care of and rights and obligations of the state and citizens were determined.

    He said the government has formed Rahmat-tulil-Aalameen Authority to apprise the people and the world about the life and teachings of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH).

    President Dr Arif Alvi in his message said that Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) united people for the Oneness of Allah Almighty and it is his character that made worst enemies as each other’s well-wishers.

    The President said that Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) established such a welfare state where the rich and poor enjoyed equal rights.

    Lauding the efforts of the present government in turning Pakistan into a model welfare state on the patterns of Riasat-e-Madina, President Alvi hoped that all resources will be utilized for this purpose.

  • Shaukat Tarin appointed adviser to PM Khan on finance and revenue

    Shaukat Tarin appointed adviser to PM Khan on finance and revenue

    Former Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin has been appointed Adviser to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on finance and revenue.

    An official notification issued on the appointment read that Tarin’s new status will be equivalent to that of a federal minister.

    The government on Friday had decided to appoint Tarin as an advisor to the PM on finance, as his six-month tenure as the financial advisor was expiring that day, sources had told Geo News.

    The finance minister was supposed to get elected as a senator — a prerequisite to continue as finance minister — as the six-month time limit to elect him as a member of Parliament expired on Friday.