Current Final

Category: Politics

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • ‘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.

  • PTI govt excludes ‘most corrupt govt of last 19 years’ from its investigation: report

    PTI govt excludes ‘most corrupt govt of last 19 years’ from its investigation: report

    The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has excluded from its probe the country’s “most corrupt government of the past 19 years” as it investigates foreign loans obtained by previous governments, The News reported.

    As per the details, the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led government has formed a high-powered commission to probe Rs24,000 billion loans acquired during the past 10 years.

    While the PTI is only focusing on the last 10 years of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) governments, last 19 annual reports of Transparency International (TI) — a Berlin-based global watchdog — show that corruption was at its peak in Pakistan during General (r) Pervez Musharraf’s military rule.

    According to The News, TI, which publishes annual Global Corruption Barometer and Corruption Perception Index (CPI) to give a comparative listing of corruption worldwide, shows more corruption in Musharraf’s tenure as compared to the latest of the two former ruling parties.

    The least corruption in terms of the best CPI score was attained by Pakistan in 2018, the year which was shared by the rule of the outgoing PML-N, caretaker setup and the PTI.

    Although the last tenure of the PPP was generally dubbed the most corrupt in the country’s history, the TI annual reports record shows that the lowest score during the last PPP regime has been 24 out of 100 (2.4/10) in 2009 as against 21 under Musharraf.

    It means that the last PPP tenure’s lowest score is three points better than Musharraf’s lowest score.

    HIGH-POWERED COMMISSION:

    The ruling PTI recently formed a high-powered commission, headed by National Accountancy Bureau (NAB) Deputy Chairman Hussain Asghar, to probe the soaring loans piled up over the past 10 years.

    The 12-member commission includes officials from NAB, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Military Intelligence (MI), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

    According to a government notification, the federal government would hire national and international experts to conduct forensic audits of investment and expenditure of the past governments during the last 10 years.

    The commission will have to submit interim reports of progress every month and a final report within six months.

    It would also probe all development projects, kickbacks and contracts during 2008-2018. Embezzlement of government funds and alleged corruption in the development projects would also be investigated.

  • ‘Looted’ Rs2.1bn recovered as plea-bargain of Zardari’s co-accused accepted

    ‘Looted’ Rs2.1bn recovered as plea-bargain of Zardari’s co-accused accepted

    The National Accountability (NAB) has recovered a whopping amount of Rs 2.12 billion in the fake accounts case against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and former president Asif Ali Zardari.

    According to reports, NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal has accepted the plea-bargain request of two accused — Technomen Kinetics (Pvt) Ltd directors Asif Mehmood and Arif Ali — involved in collusive bidding, exorbitant rates, corruption and corrupt practices in power generation projects of Sindh.

    The final petition for plea bargain will be submitted in the accountability court, NAB has said, adding that the suspects – along with the provincial officials – were involved in corruption through fake auctions.

    In the last hearing of the case in an accountability court, the physical remand of three accused, who had applied for a plea bargain, in the fake bank accounts case was extended till July 31.

    During the hearing, the judge had directed NAB to wind up the case against them as soon as possible. The bureau’s investigation officer had told the court that the requests of the accused were under process with the department.

    The anti-graft watchdog has already arrested 25 suspects in the fake bank accounts case that pertains to transactions of hundreds of millions of rupees to Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur’s private companies allegedly through fake bank accounts.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://youtu.be/nhF3zuKC-J4
  • Pakistani driving licences to be valid in UAE

    Pakistani driving licences to be valid in UAE

    Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed has said that an authority will be set up to issue driving licences that will also be valid in the Gulf states.

    Addressing the launching ceremony of an e-billing system for the National Highway Authority (NHA), the minister said that a delegation will leave for Dubai in a week or so for the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities on acceptance of Pakistani driving licences in the Gulf states.

    The minister said he read in a news report that the UAE government had inked a similar agreement with another country, Dawn news reported.

    “Obtaining a driving licence in the UAE is a gigantic task, but once the agreement is signed, our drivers holding the local driving licence will have more job opportunities in the Gulf states as they will have no need to get another licence there,” he added.

    He said offices of the driving licence authority will be established all over the country.

  • PM Imran unfollows Hamid Mir on Twitter, journalist says he’s ‘honoured’

    PM Imran unfollows Hamid Mir on Twitter, journalist says he’s ‘honoured’

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has unfollowed veteran journalist and analyst Hamid Mir on Twitter, a development that Mir says is no less than an “honour”.

    The episode that follows Mir’s anti-government tirade ever since his interview of arrested former president Asif Ali Zardari was taken off the air, has left the micro-blogging website divided as people argue if it proves the premier’s “inability to take criticism”.

    It surfaced on social media on Monday evening through an account called Siasat Bot that keeps track of the Twitter handles of major politicians and political parties.

    Earlier, Mir’s video had also gone viral on social media wherein he demanded his arrest which was termed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters as propaganda against the government under the guise of freedom of media.

    Following this, supporters of the ruling PTI had been carrying out a campaign against the journalist who has now been unfollowed by the premier on Twitter.

    PM Imran reportedly had 19 followers before clicking the “unfollow” button on Mir. The 18 accounts that he still follows include those of organisations that he himself heads, such as the PTI, Shaukat Khanum Hospital and Namal University.

    The other accounts he follows include that belonging to his party’s senior leaders.

    Mir himself took to Twitter to indirectly address the development. Retweeting an old post, he shared how “he had become unfavorable to PTI after he started criticising them”.

    Speaking to a private news website, Mir said that he was “honoured” to be unfollowed by the chief executive of the country.